Boosting Productivity with Coffee Naps: Benefits and Precautions

The general belief is that if you want to stay awake for longer and if you’re feeling tired, you should have a cup of coffee, after which all your sleepiness will vanish. And if, by mistake, you have coffee before going to bed, you won’t be able to sleep. Have you heard the same? And do you also believe it?

Well, we’re not saying that what you’ve heard is wrong; it’s true that coffee and sleep are contradictory. But do you know what happens if you have coffee just before a short nap? Let’s guess: 1. Your sleep will be disrupted, and you won’t be able to take a short nap. 2. You’ll have a very good sleep during the short nap, and after waking up, you’ll be more productive.

Perhaps most of you would choose the first option, but when it comes to a short nap, coffee works differently and more effectively. Several studies have found that coffee before a short nap enhances your alertness and mental ability compared to taking a nap first.

We often feel very tired in the afternoon at the office, but this is quite natural. Feeling sleepy, sluggish, and tired during the afternoon is due to our body’s circadian rhythm. Sometimes, even a few hours after a heavy lunch rich in sugar, we feel very tired and sleepy at the office due to a drop in blood sugar levels.

If you want to mix coffee and a short nap, you need to pay attention to the timing, technique, and sequence because they are very important for you to fully benefit from it. If you are interested in maximizing the benefits of both coffee and naps and increasing your productivity, then this article is for you.

Would you like to try a “napuccino”? Confused? Yes, a coffee nap is also called a napuccino. As the name suggests, it involves drinking coffee or any other caffeinated drink just before taking a short nap. This helps your body and mind gain more rest in a short time and allows you to be more productive in the afternoon when you might feel very lethargic.

Sleep psychologists have found through several research studies that when we take a short nap, typically lasting 15-20 minutes, and drink coffee just before it, our body’s restorative abilities and mental alertness increase.

It takes approximately 45 minutes for coffee to be absorbed into our bloodstream. By the time we wake up from a 15-20 minute nap, the caffeine is fully dissolved in our blood, and the effects of coffee are stimulated. This results in us feeling doubly alert and energized from the coffee. Just remember one thing, keep your nap ideally around 20 minutes; otherwise, if you sleep longer, like 1 to 1.5 hours, you might enter deep sleep, and waking up can be difficult, leaving you without energy afterwards.

A study published in Human Kinetics Journals involved an experiment on sprinter athletes who had been sleep-deprived for a significant time. They divided them into three groups. One group was allowed to take a 20-minute nap without any coffee. The second group was not allowed to sleep but was given a moderate amount of coffee to drink. The third group was given coffee just before a 20-minute nap. The results showed that the group which had both coffee and a nap performed very well after the nap.

Let’s delve a bit into the science of coffee and see its effects on the body. In our body, there are neurotransmitters called adenosine. Adenosine is a natural chemical that is produced in our body, and its function is to give us feelings of sleepiness. Throughout the day, the level of adenosine increases, signaling to our body that it is time to sleep. However, when we sleep, it gets cleared from our brain.

When this substance is completely cleared from our brain, our brain enters into a deep REM sleep. When caffeine dissolves in our blood, it blocks the action of adenosine, which makes our brain more active. Caffeine and adenosine both compete for the same receptors in the brain, so if there is no adenosine in the brain, caffeine gets the chance to occupy the receptors. This is where a short nap comes into play. When we drink coffee and then take a nap, adenosine starts to clear from the brain because we are sleeping, which gives caffeine the opportunity to fit itself into all the open receptors in the brain.

Steps for Taking an Effective Coffee Nap

Frankly, coffee napping is not rocket science. It can easily be incorporated into your schedule by just taking a little time out. It doesn’t require much, just 15-30 minutes from your busy schedule. A coffee followed immediately by a short nap, that’s the perfect recipe for your napuccino.

• Prepare for space – Don’t make it too complicated; all you need is a dark room and a chair or sofa where your body can relax. It’s not necessary to have a room; you won’t find one in the office or during a long drive. In such cases, you can choose any place which is safe and where daylight is blocked. Even you could park your car under a shed to take a nap or use an eye-mask to nap in your office chair.
• Get a coffee or double shot of espresso – Caffeine is found in many drinks, such as energy drinks, colas, and some types of tea, but for good results, we need about 200 milligrams of caffeine, which these beverages cannot provide. This amount of caffeine can only be obtained from espresso or double espresso shots. 
• Drink your coffee fairly quickly – Moreover, these espresso shots need to be consumed quickly, not sipped over 20-30 minutes. For good results, finish your coffee within 2 minutes. To do this, you can either drink iced coffee or cool down your espresso if you can’t quickly drink a large mug of hot coffee. Drinking this much coffee just before a nap is what will produce results. 
• Sleep immediately – As soon as you finish your coffee, try to sleep immediately. Remember to set an alarm for 20 minutes to avoid falling into deep sleep. Don’t worry if you can’t fall asleep; in fact, even if you just feel drowsy, it will still have a positive effect on your productivity and you will gain all the benefits of a coffee nap.

Who Should Avoid Taking Coffee Naps?

While coffee has some great benefits, it also has some negative effects, and its impact varies from person to person. Therefore, just because a coffee nap sounds appealing doesn’t mean it should be done by everyone, and certainly not on a daily basis.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has suggested that a young adult can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to about 4-5 cups of coffee daily. However, sensitivity to coffee varies from person to person. Some people metabolize it well, while others take longer to process it in their bodies. It would be wise to consult your doctor to determine how much coffee you can safely consume daily.

Coffee nap works very well in certain situations, especially for drivers feeling sleepy, workers on night shifts, and IT professionals who spend long hours coding at the computer. In these situations, combining coffee with a nap can be very beneficial for their mental sharpness and to enhance their physical stamina.

However, there are several conditions in which coffee can have negative effects and should not be tried. For example, 

• it should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and those trying to conceive should avoid it as well.
• If you suffer from chronic headaches, you should avoid caffeine.
• Coffee is known to disrupt sleep, so those suffering from insomnia should definitely avoid it.
• People with high blood pressure should avoid coffee because it can increase heart rate, which is not advisable in such conditions.
• Anxiety is also directly connected to heart rate. If you are experiencing anxiety, it is important to relax and control your heart rate, but coffee can increase it.

Besides these conditions, if you feel any kind of coffee overload in your body, consult your doctor and only try a coffee nap after getting their advice.

So, we have tried to explain the importance of a coffee nap from the perspectives of science, health, and work productivity, while also shedding light on its negative effects. It can be an incredible tool to boost your productivity in sleepy situations, but it is your responsibility to take care of your health. Therefore, make sure to consult with your health consultant before trying it, especially if you are sensitive to coffee. Now, as I write this article and the afternoon has arrived, I’m feeling sluggish and since I can consume 200mg of coffee (already checked with my doctor 🙂 ), I would indeed like to try a napuccino.