Coffee or nap? Why not both?

Did you spend your night going out with friends or stayed up late for exam preparation and assignments? You know in advance if you don't have enough sleep, the next day you will be tired and sleepy during the day especially you will struggle to cope with lectures and tutorials.

At that time, you might want to take quick nap or drink a cup of coffee to boost your performance and brain functions. But most of time, you would drink a cup of coffee to make you alert because you know it is just as effective as taking nap.

But have you ever felt drowsy even though you already had a cup of coffee? It is normal phenomenon because Caffeine doesn't make you feel alert immediately. Some studies have found that it is more effective to take a ‘Coffee Nap’ to improve performances and relieve fatigue, than coffee or nap on their own.

What is Coffee Nap?

So what is ‘Coffee Nap’? Coffee nap is drinking a cup of coffee followed by a 15-20 minutes rest that will improve performance and productivity.

When you drink caffeine it takes about 20-30 minutes to get absorbed into your bloodstream then kick starts your brain chemistry by blocking receptors normally filled by similar energy transferring molecules of Adenosine, a chemical compound in your brain known for causing drowsiness. 

Adenosine makes you feel sleepy by slowing down your brain’s nerve cell activity; so after 20 minutes when caffeine naturally takes Adenosine’s place in the receptors, the nerve cells speed up giving us that jolt of caffeine energy and focus.

Several UK researches have found that when subjects took a 15 minute coffee nap, they scored higher on a driving simulator test. Also in Japan, scientists found their subjects scored higher on memory tests after coffee naps.

Next time when you are having a weary day, why don't you take a ‘Coffee Nap’? Follow on our blog and our team will introduce you the best tips on how to maximize your napping experience and reveal some of the best spots to take a nap in Macquarie University campus. So grab a coffee, pick a spot and take a nap. You don’t have to fall into a deep sleep for a coffee nap to work. Half-sleep or dozing has proven to be just as effective. But don't forget to an alarm because you don't want to miss out on lectures and tutorials!

Image sources are

http://lifehacker.com/naps-vs-coffee-which-is-better-when-youre-exhausted-1730643671

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/basics/why-is-coffee-and-nap-better-than-either-by-itself.htm

Information sources are

https://blog.bulletproof.com/coffee-naps-bulletproof-power-nap/ http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/fact-sheets-a-z/352-napping.html

Writer

James Eungil Cho

eungil.cho@students.mq.edu.au