Sleeping for 7+ hours, but not consecutively works?

[nightowl]

Ok well, let me explain. Yesterday, I took a nap at 5:20 and then woke up at like 8(didn't remember any dreams). Then I went fell asleep again at around 11:50 and then I experienced one of those long dreams that you only get when you get around 7 hours of sleep, but i got this dream around 3 am. After that, I tried the best to fall asleep, but I just kept waking up and going back to sleep back and forth because I wasnt really tired at all anymore. I didn't really mind though because I felt so refreshed. Anyway my question is can you sleep at different intervals during the day, but the cumulative amount of hours is 7 hours. So do you experience that long dream you usually get after 7 hours of sleep on the 7th hour? Im guessing yes, but just wanted to make sure and if anyone here had any input/comments. I just never knew this =/

[dream-scape]

That really doesn't sound like a very healthy practice, to start taking that length of a nap every day.

[nightowl]

you....really think so? I dont take naps everyday because once im down, I stay down for hours. What are the health risks?

[incubusfunkman]

i think i see what he means, it could screw up the process in witch your brain does all the nuero-repair and such, but its not really unhealthy if you have a nap of the same leangth every day around the same time cause your brain will get used to the routine and get things done, but if your just randomly taking naps all the time of random time variations i could see possible problems. I think that if you were to take small naps and acumalated a certain number of hours without staying awake for TO long then yeah you might have that leangthy dream. but if you were to stay awake for to long, like say a couple hour, i think your brain would start the cycle over. but im no expert on dream cycles, that just my opinion. Peace