Every year, when I stay up learning Torah through the first night of Shavu'ot, I invariably fall asleep during the subsequent morning prayers. Last year, I tried something new: Learn all night, but when the sun rises, instead of staying to pray with the sunrise service, go home and sleep until the later service and pray then. I was thus able to stay awake through the entire service.
I am certain that my new schedule is Halachically superior for me. Sleeping through parts of the prayer service is certainly worth avoiding, regardless of the impact on observance of a tradition of relatively recent vintage.
However, I'm curious about whether there is, in fact, any impact in this plan on my observance of the tradition. Have I fulfilled the tradition by learning all night, or is my performance of this practice missing something because I go to sleep as soon as morning comes?
The whole point of the practice is because the Israelites apparently got up late for their morning appointment to receive the Torah. If I'm actually heading to bed at the time of that appointment, have I defeated the traditional purpose of staying up?
Answer
When we stay up all night, it isn't intended to replace that which the Israelites shoud have done. They weren't expected to be up all night - they should have simply woken up early. If so, all we'd need to do Shavuos morning, then, is to wake up early.
Rather, it seems to me, the tradition of staying up all night is intended as a form of atonement for the ancient negligence that morning. We stay up and learn all night, thereby showing how important and fulfilling Torah study is for us. This makes up for the perceived slight to the Torah from long ago.
Therefore I would argue that your behavior is both Halachically sound and also very much in line with the tradition.
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