Napping feels great. It’s relaxing, rejuvenating, and an experience on its own thanks to the vivid dreams that occur in the brief resting time.
I, for one, have the most distinct dreams when I take a quick nap in the middle of the day. These are also worth remembering as they aren’t usual and rarely occur at night. The Focus got in touch with Dr. Chelsea Perry for better insight on this and the sleep expert says the intense dreams we have during naps are due to biology and psychology.
Sleep expert explains vivid dreams during naps
Have you ever woken up from a nap feeling like you traveled through the multiverse? And your brain, which wouldn’t otherwise remember your dreams so well, can recall every vision you had in a short time.
Dr. Chelsea Perry tells The Focus: “It’s interesting how naps can sometimes give us such vivid dreams. There are a few reasons behind this phenomenon, blending both psychology and biology.”
“During a short nap, especially in the afternoon, your body often slips into a phase of sleep known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) quite quickly. This is the stage where dreaming is most vivid. At night, we cycle through different stages of sleep, and REM periods are spaced out with deeper, non-REM stages in between,” she adds.
She says the brain tends to slip into the REM stage faster during the day if you’re sleep-deprived or need a break. “Your brain can fast-track into REM sleep because it’s craving that restorative, dream-filled phase,” she explains. This is the reason the dreams you see are more intense.
Why we don’t remember nighttime dreams as much
Even though dreams occur at night, they aren’t always as intense as the ones we have during the day. The reason for this is driven by psychology.
“Psychologically, the shorter duration of a nap means that your mind is closer to waking consciousness, which might make the dream more memorable and easier to recall,” Dr. Chelsea says.
She further explains: “It’s like you’re skimming the surface of sleep, making the dream feel more immediate and vivid when you wake up. This heightened awareness during a nap, compared to the longer, more varied cycle of nighttime sleep, makes those midday dreams stand out more distinctly.”
Dr. Chelsea Perry is the founder of Sleep Solutions and the lead clinician, with “extensive experience in sleep medicine.” She has been featured as an expert in multiple leading websites and media outlets, including Sleep Advisor and Woman’s World.
