Feeling depressed after nap. Is there any reason behind this?

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I’ve experienced this for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I suffered a significant trauma and my sleep was impacted at night and I was scared to sleep (waking up crying, nightmares/night terrors, waking up family for comfort). This went on for about a year and I was very unsupported and eventually I just had to be scared and ‘suck it up’ as my family were struggling to help me. As an adult, I’ve received years of therapy and no longer feel permanently depressed or anxious and I function very well day to day and love my sleep/sleep well the whole night once I drift off.

No matter my progression, I’ve always felt an empty, numb and scared feeling when I wake from a nap and as a result, I tend to avoid napping. This evening, I put the kids to bed at 8.30pm and fell asleep on their bedroom floor and woke up at 9.30pm. I’ve felt this sinking, empty feeling ever since. Similar to when I was a child and woke up petrified.

I’m wondering if anyone else experiences this? It wasn’t the focus of my therapy and tbh it never made its way into my sessions in any meaningful way because there was so many other aspects of my trauma to uncover. However, I’m wondering if this is just a common experience or if it may be another unprocessed link to my trauma?

I'm the same if I nap during the day, no sleep problems otherwise and no history of night terrors. I think it's just that you are disoriented on waking up from a nap.

Yes! Also have night terrors (but generally sleep well at night). Naps just do not suit me 😔

Thank you both for sharing! I wish napping was for me, but it sounds like it’s just one of those things for some people.

I've just been listening to an audio book which touched on nap lengths. It suggested that napping for more than 30 mins puts you into a deeper sleep zone that is not ideal to wake from - usually you would sleep through it and rouse from it after a longer period. The author said that waking from the deeper sleep can leave one feeling disoriented and out of sorts. Maybe this is what happens for you. A shorter nap of 20/30 mins might be better.
I've possibly not summarised this very well but hopefully you can find some better info on the internet!

I never nap because when I do I wake up with that horrible feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, I think as someone else has mentioned it’s due to the deep sleep you have entered but not completed the cycle of.

Never do night shifts OP no matter how much they pay.
I did nights for two decades and spent so much of my life feeling that empty and dread filled feeling. Never sure if I am tired or it’s something else.
Yes naps do that to me now but I have a strong mug of tea and feel straight again.

I almost never map because when I do I never feel good on waking, I feel low and irritable and like everything is awful and just want to go to bed and not do any more of the day! I never understand people who look forward to a nap.