I’m sure we’ve all heard of power naps, but what about a coffee nap? If not, you’re probably thinking the words coffee and nap simply don’t belong in the same sentence. Well, unless you’re saying “Geez, I drank too much coffee and now I can’t nap.” I thought the same thing at first, but then I read about this conflicting yet science-backed nap which turned me into a believer.
It started with a study performed to find a way to tackle driver fatigue/sleepiness and found that consuming caffeine right before taking a 15 minute nap worked much better than napping or having caffeine alone. This means that if you like to nap, investing in some coffee pods will help make it easy to get your pre-nap caffeine. Nowadays, you can purchase coffee pods from a wide range of different stores. Some retailers and manufacturers like SS Nutra even allow you to purchase wholesale coffee pods in bulk. Ultimately, buying coffee pods in bulk is a fantastic way to stock up on your coffee supplies while also saving money. So, what exactly is the relationship between coffee and sleep all about? I could re-hash what I’ve read on the topic, but figure the Sleep Junkies do a much better job than I, so, please read and learn:
Why is it so effective?
The reason it works so well is because it takes around 20 minutes for the body to respond to the effects of caffeine. By taking a short nap immediately after consumption, the stimulant effect kicks in just as you are waking up. Not only will you feel revived from your power nap, you’ll also have the added benefit of the caffeine boost.
How to take a caffeine nap
You can use this technique any time, but it’s most effective in the afternoon to combat the the mid afternoon energy slump. It’s a great productivity tip for work and works wonders for drowsy drivers. If you don’t like coffee you can use a caffeine supplement – the kind of pill that students use to cram all night before their finals.
1) Find a suitable environment to take a nap.
If you’re at work, try to find the most relaxing environment, somewhere quiet that you’re not going to be disturbed, ideally with dim lighting, and not too noisy. A comfy sofa or armchair will do. Useful nap-cessories are  foam ear plugs, an eye mask or maybe you could even splash out on an Ostrich pillow
2) Grab your favourite caffeine laden beverage or pill.
Coffee is ideal, as are caffeine supplements like Pro-Plus etc. Coke and Pepsi are no good, they don’t contain enough caffeine. The scientists used a dosage of 200mg but you can experiment on what works best for you. Also watch out for sugar drinks, you might get a glucose-rush that prevents you from napping altogether.  Use this caffeine chart to pick your poison.
3) Set your alarm to go off in 15-20 mins.
This is very important because you need to wake before you enter deep sleep. If you nap for too long you could end up drifting off into a slow-wave sleep pattern and run the risk of felling groggy when you wake up. Also you want to wake up before the caffeine hit kicks in. Watch this video on the science of napping for more tips.
4) Don’t delay, take your nap straight away.
Now the easy part. Kick off your shoes, get your head down and enjoy a nice relaxing snooze!
After reading, I was sold. I have yet to test it myself since I’m not a napper to begin with, but maybe for our next long distance road trip, I’ll put this to practice. I’m confident working and stay-at-home parents alike could put this to good use in order to keep up with our non-stop miniatures running circles around us. You can read more from Dave Asprey, a long time biohacker and creator of Bulletproof Coffee.
As a self-proclaimed budding biohacker, I find this very interesting and love delving deep into the science of natural chemicals and how they work for or against us when consumed. One area I’m seriously into is the use of Nootropics which are very similar to smart drugs used to enhance cognitive function, mood, learning, and energy without prescription drugs and very little negative side-effects.
With my newfound interest, prepare to see future posts on nootropics to help with anxiety, energy, motivation, and brain health. As a parent, I know these will be extremely beneficial in helping to manage a full day of stress-inducing issues at home, work, and even on the playground. I’m currently testing a few on myself and will report back soon.
Will you give a coffee nap a try?
Have you tried already?
Are you into biohacking or interested in nootropics?
Big thanks to Sleep Junkies for the informative post on coffee and napping……together!
