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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Peet’s Coffee. The coffee nap concept is not endorsed by Peet’s Coffee. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Have you heard of the “coffee nap?”
A biohack that is supposed to trick your body into caffeine-fueled rest followed by a burst of energy, it’s been around for a while and has several scientific studies* proving its effectiveness.
You know those cravings for something sweet, coffee or a nap in the afternoon? You’re not alone. It happens to most people and is naturally built into your circadian rhythm. When you’re a child, a post-lunch nap is pretty much built into your life. It’s honored without question. But as you grow up and go to school, then start working–we get too busy to listen to our bodies.
Bye bye, solid nap time… Hello coffee naps!
The Internet LOVES coffee naps.
Here are some responses I got on the subject of coffee naps when I posted about it on @breakfastcriminals stories:
In this post, I’ll share my research and personal experience with what’s known as “the coffee nap,” also known as “the stimulant nap”.
Peet’s Coffee gifted me Peet’s Coffee Espresso Capsules to keep me awake and present for the holiday season. They make the perfect at-home espresso that’s rich, intense, and reminds me of the excellent coffee I’ve had in Italy. The capsules, which are available on Amazon, are compatible with Nespresso Original machines, and the capsules are recyclable.
I was exposed to power naps early on. In fact, I grew up with a master of 5-minute naps in my house. My dad can nap anywhere, anytime, and those 5 minutes make all the difference. Before the nap he’s out of focus and energy, and after a few magic minutes he’s back to his true self–funny, engaged and energized. Here’s the catch: my dad doesn’t drink coffee.
So what happens when you take the magic of a power nap and add coffee to it?
Let’s find out.
On top of reading about it, I also did the coffee nap experiment and am sharing my findings with you.
First, here’s a disclaimer: I am self-employed and work from my home office. My sleep is a priority, and most days I get enough sleep and clean nutrition to not have an afternoon energy slump. It seems to me that when we generally get enough sleep, we shouldn’t need a coffee nap.
Back to the experiment…To not force my body to sleep, I picked days on which I actually experienced low energy to test drive the coffee nap.
ARE NAPS GOOD FOR YOU?
Naps are good for you. There’s plenty of research proving that they can help you become a better problem solver. Harvard Medical School even says that “The well-timed nap can make you more productive at work and at home.”
ARE COFFEE NAPS EFFECTIVE?
According to the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, the combination of caffeine and napping was the most effective for subjective sleepiness and performance level when compared to nap only, nap + bright light and nap + face washing upon waking up.
HOW DOES A COFFEE NAP WORK?
The way the caffeine works is by passing through your bloodstream into your brain. When we sleep, a molecule called adenosine (a byproduct of many cellular processes) naturally clears up from the brain. What’s interesting is that caffeine closely resembles adenosine. When you drink coffee, caffeine easily takes the place of adenosine. When caffeine molecules are blocking those receptors, they prevent tiredness and generate a sense of alertness and energy for a few hours.
HOW TO TAKE A COFFEE NAP
1. Drink a cup of coffee (you can try drinking another caffeinated beverage, but it likely won’t be as effective). Drink it quickly – espresso is your best bet.
2. Right after you’re done drinking coffee, take a 20-minute nap. If you can’t fall asleep, that’s ok – try to relax with your eyes closed. Don’t sleep longer, because then you risk entering a deeper stage of sleep.
3. Hear the alarm, get up, and feel alert!
HOW LONG SHOULD THE COFFEE NAP LAST?
Nap for about 20 minutes. The caffeine takes about 25 minutes to activate in your body, so by the time you get up, you’ll be rested and awake.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH COFFEE NAPS
I tried the coffee nap in two different settings: afternoon coffee nap and morning coffee nap.
AFTERNOON COFFEE NAP
Here’s what I did:
1. Have lunch.
2. Make a shot of Peet’s Espresso (I used Crema Scura) and enjoyed it straight or with some frothed hemp milk.
3. Lay in bed and try to sleep, or lay down with my Chi Swing relaxation machine with some relaxing music.
How did it go?
I did this on three separate occasions.
#1:
I did it with my boyfriend and the alarm didn’t go off, and we ended up sleeping for 40 minutes. We woke up feeling refreshed and energized!
#2:
I laid down and almost fell asleep. According to science, deep relaxation counts. After 15 minutes, my to-do list crept up on me and I jumped up, ready to jump into action.
#3:
I didn’t feel very sleepy after taking the shot, so I laid down with my Chi Swing machine and listened to a sound bath meditation on Insight timer app. After 20 minutes, I was ready to rock and roll and felt refreshed.
MORNING COFFEE NAP
Ok, this one is interesting. I read somewhere that if you’re one of those people who find themselves pressing the “snooze” button quite a bit, you can try the morning coffee nap technique.
Here’s what I did:
1. When your first alarm goes off, get out of bed and make coffee (this is where having an espresso machine comes in handy).
2. Drink the coffee quickly and get back in bed.
3. Snooze for 15-20 minutes, and get up to conquer the day.
How did it go?
For me, the hardest thing about getting up is actually getting out of bed. Once I’m up, I can do my morning routine, am excited to do yoga and get to work. So getting up, drinking coffee, and then getting back in bed didn’t seem to make a lot of sense, but I gave it a go anyway. Result? I don’t foresee myself doing this again. I naturally have a good amount of energy in the morning, especially after splashing my face with cold water, so I don’t need the coffee nap technique. Plus, I prefer leisurely enjoying my morning cup of joe.
Have you tried the coffee nap? Will you be trying it out after reading this?
I’d love to hear from you in comments!
*Resources:
- Suppression of sleepiness in drivers: combination of caffeine with a short nap study
- Counteracting driver sleepiness: effects of napping, caffeine, and placebo study
- The alerting effects of caffeine, bright light and face washing after a short daytime nap
- Health Benefits of Napping
- This Is How Your Brain Becomes Addicted to Caffeine