We all have our own methods for dealing with that mid-day lull. Whether it’s an energy drink, brain boosting supplement or a jump rope that we stash in our desk drawer — most of us have devised a way to become more alert in the afternoon.
Have you ever tried a coffee nap? Probably not. This hybrid solution to sleepiness is slowly becoming a favorite way for people to perk up and be more productive after lunch.
What is a coffee nap?
Not as confusing as it sounds, a coffee nap is a two-step process to quickly eliminate grogginess and get on with your day. First, you drink a cup of coffee. Then you go to sleep. The idea behind this concept is that you are combining two proven ways for waking up into one. Coffee contains a nice dose of caffeine, which stimulates us even when we haven’t gotten enough sleep. A 20-minute power nap is something that was instilled in us at an early age (remember that floor mat you brought with you to kindergarten?). When resting for a short period of time, our bodies can recharge and we awake feeling more refreshed.
Why not just take a regular nap?
While a power nap on its own is a great pick-me-up, most of us know they don’t always go as planned. Either we wake up feeling drowsy or have difficulty falling asleep in the first place, turning our twenty-minute snooze sesh into a five-minute flop. By adding coffee to the mix we guarantee we’ll wake up feeling alert, since caffeine takes about twenty minutes to really kick in. A coffee nap also eliminates the annoyance felt when dowsing off takes longer than we’d like. With a coffee nap even a few minutes of rest gets us the brief break we’re looking for, as both caffeine and sleep deactivates adenosine (receptors in the brain that makes us feel tired).
How does one actually achieve a coffee nap?
If you have access to a comfy couch or bed achieving the coffee nap is a lot easier than, say, trying to rest in an empty conference room. But if you can manage to silence your brain and stay calm, you should be able to grab a few “Z’s” even in less that ideal circumstances. Focus on your breath, breathing in and out slowly. Try to visualize something peaceful, such as the ocean or an evening sunset. Remember this, taking a nap is a lot like meditation. It requires focus and the ability to put the past and future out of your mind for a brief moment so you can relax.
