The surprising reason you should drink coffee before taking a nap: sleep expert
Go to sleep and smell the coffee.
It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking coffee before a nap could be the secret to waking up feeling refreshed, a sleep expert claims.
“Caffeine takes roughly 30 minutes to metabolize, and as you wake, you can get the double benefit of nap rejuvenation and caffeine alertness,” snooze guru James Wilson told bedding brand Mattress Online.
There’s science to back up this claim as well.
A study from 2010 found that taking a nap right after drinking some coffee can enhance the brain’s ability to receive caffeine.
While it may seem like coffee could prevent you from falling asleep, it takes time for the caffeine to kick in.
Experts say drinking caffeine right before sleep and staying asleep for around 20 minutes is the ideal way to get a restful nap, according to Healthline.
Sleeping for more than 30 minutes could make someone feel drowsier since people might enter a deeper state of sleep.
To optimize your sleep at night, you shouldn’t drink coffee any less than 6 hours before your bedtime.
The ideal amount of caffeine to take before sleep to feel more alert is 2 cups of coffee or 200 mg of caffeine.
However, Wilson cautioned that not all nappers are alike.
“It’s important to note that everyone’s preferences are individual to them, so a caffeine nap may work for some, while not for others,” he said.
However, napping has various health benefits, especially if you have sleep debt.
“Naps are a great way to battle the symptoms of sleep deprivation. They can give you a boost of alertness, make you more productive, and can help if you are sleeping against your natural circadian rhythm; for example, if you are a natural night owl who has been forced to get up at 5am for work,” Wilson said.
“They can also be a godsend for shift workers — a nap will fill the gaps in their sleep, helping them meet their sleep needs. This is particularly true when trying to sleep during the day,” Wilson added.
