Tiredness and poor concentration? Having a coffee and taking a 20 minute nap immediately afterwards can help you regain energy. This is confirmed by some recent studies that combine nap and coffee. According to the researchers, this winning pairing helps improve alertness and attention.
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Tiredness and poor concentration? Drink a coffee and do a 20 minute nap soon after, it can help you regain energy. This is confirmed by some recent studies that combine nap and coffee. According to the researchers, this winning combination helps improve alertness and attention.
True, at first glance it seems like a contradiction, as we are normally told that the caffeine contained in coffee helps to keep us awake. But caffeine does not take effect immediately, and the 20-minute nap is the time it takes for this substance to kick in.
As experts explain, the caffeine in coffee is absorbed by the small intestine, passes through the bloodstream and thus reaches the brain while at rest but has not yet entered the deeper stages of sleep. Furthermore, the nap after coffee would erase a molecule capable of inhibiting the effectiveness of caffeine.
Scientists evaluated whether to stay active during the day either better have a cup of coffee or take a nap and they have come to the conclusion that it might be useful to take advantage of the beneficial effects of both.
The researchers of the Loughborough University conducted a study in which some participants, tired, had a coffee and immediately took a 15-minute nap. Their reactions were tested thanks to a driving simulator. The coffee nap group made fewer mistakes than those who had only had the drink or just rested.
Another study, conducted in Japan, examined the effects of coffee naps on memory tests. Participants who took a nap after coffee performed better than those who simply drank a cup of the drink without resting immediately afterwards.
READ also: 10 tips for overcoming the afternoon drop in energy
Here then how to take a "coffee nap":
- Drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
- Drink quickly so that there is a longer amount of time before the caffeine reaches the brain.
- Quickly drinking hot coffee can be difficult, preferably warm or cold coffee.
- After drinking your coffee, try to sleep right away. Even if you are unable to fall asleep, rest or reach a semi-sleep stage.
- Waking up after 20 minutes. By sleeping more you risk entering deeper stages of sleep, which can leave you more tired.
Pending further confirmation, those who habitually drink coffee could experience the effectiveness of the new expert advice. That would be just an interesting pretext for allow yourself to take an invigorating nap "in the name of science" even when you usually think you don't have time to rest for a while.
Marta Albè
Photo source: zdnet.com
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