# Why do naps make me feel depressed?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-naps-make-me-feel-depressed/316245>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 9, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-naps-make-me-feel-depressed/316245 "2005-08-09T06:05:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-naps-make-me-feel-depressed/316245/1 "2005-08-09T06:05:45Z")

</div>

Whenever I take a nap, I end up feeling incredibly depressed rather than grumpy like most people. Worse, post-nap I’m unable to really do anything - I feel unable to concentrate or do anything but sort of mope.

What’s going on? Is this a recognized phenomenon?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-naps-make-me-feel-depressed/316245/2 "2005-08-09T06:19:14Z")

</div>

It might have to do with how serotonin and melotonin get regulated during sleep (as explained [here](http://www.immunesupport.com/message/melatonin.htm)). It could be either that you’re sleeping an inappropriate amount of time, thus disrupting your serotonin regulation, or you’re confusing your “body clock”.