Cat nap, power nap, and now there’s…wait for it…a coffee nap!
Though it may seem odd, some scientists are suggesting downing a cup of coffee before taking a midday snooze. For the effects to work, and for the caffeine to reign supreme in the battle against adenosine (compound that induces a drowsy state), you must sleep. Adenosine accumulates in the brain when you’re awake and diminishes while asleep. Therefore, adenosine is slept off and the caffeine’s alertness benefits can pay off. The caffeine also takes about 30 minutes to provide it’s energy-boosting effects. Hence, drinking the coffee, taking a 20-30 minute power nap, then rising to eliminate feeling groggy.
Dr. David Dinges, a sleep researchers and professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, said “If you can fall asleep in your nap before caffeine does that, when it’s time to wake up, you’re getting the benefits of the caffeine perfectly timed with the nap sleep benefit.”
In a study, Dinges took 28 men and women and gave them a low-dose caffeine pill or placebo. The caffeine was successful in overcoming the grogginess or “sleep inertia” you feel after waking up. Promising studies are popping up around the planet about the benefits of the so-called coffee naps. In the UK, a study showed that coffee naps lessened errors in simulated driving tests and in Japan, people even improved their test scores!
Just don’t over-do it. Dinges also cautions that caffeine can be disruptive for longer periods of sleep. So, no coffee before bed. But as a pre-siesta go juice, a cup of java may be a tempting experiment.
Recipe for Bulletproof Coffee
(This recipe for bulletproof coffee is said to improve healthy brain function and even reverse the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.)
Ingredients:
• Organic Coffee (ground)
• Clarified Grass-fed Butter (Ghee)
• Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Directions: Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend and serve. Mmm…deelish!