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Feeling groggy? Eyelids closing while driving?? Get refreshed in just twenty minutes with a caffeine nap!
Afternoon sleepiness
I used to take terrible naps. Sometimes, when I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore, I would lie down for a nap and wake up groggy a couple of hours later. Or, I’d set an alarm for 15 minutes, supposedly the right amount of time for a power nap, and then be jolted awake and feel sleepy for an hour afterwards.
But then I learned about the caffeine nap, and I discovered that I could lie down for about twenty minutes, and wake up totally refreshed!
I’ve become a regular caffeine napper, often grabbing one around 3pm when I start yawning. And since the nap is so short, it doesn’t affect when I go to bed at night.
What is a caffeine nap?
Sometimes called a coffee nap, a caffeine nap involves drinking something with caffeine in it, setting an alarm for twenty minutes, and taking a nap. That’s it!
Studies have even shown that caffeine and a short nap together are more effective than a nap or caffeine by themselves. And while getting an entire cycle of sleep (instead of a short nap) is also beneficial, who has time to sleep for an hour-and-a-half in the middle of the day?
How to take a caffeine nap
Step 1: Drink some caffeine.
I’m guessing for most of you that’s coffee. For me, it’s a Diet Dr Pepper. Coffee has more caffeine, so it’s probably more effective than soda, or even tea. An energy drink would likely work, too.
Step 2: Find a quiet place
You need a place without distractions. That could be just putting your head down on your desk, but make sure your phone is silent, your smartwatch isn’t going to vibrate, and other people know to leave you alone.
White noise
If finding a quiet place isn’t possible, try some white noise. Your phone’s speaker might be loud enough to block out some noise, but headphones would probably work better. (Tip: if you would rather use speakers, try to use two, one on either side of you.)
I find regular earbuds impossible to sleep in, they’re just too big. But there are lots of other options in a range of prices.
These work great for me when I’m alone. They block out street noise and my cats running around. They do let the white noise bleed out, though, so they’re not good if that will bother someone else.
If you need something that nobody else can hear, there are small earbuds designed specifically for sleep. I was planning on recommending mine, which I love, but I just discovered that Bose has discontinued them!
This pair from Anker looks very similar to what I have, and while I don’t have experience with these, I have several other pairs of Anker earbuds and headphones, and they’re all top quality. You can’t use these for calls (they’re so small they don’t even have a microphone), but you can stream sounds from your phone, or white noise from the free Soundcore app. And you can set an alarm that only you can hear!
Step 3: Block out the light
If you can nap in a dark room, great! If not, you can easily create your own darkness with a sleep mask.
If you don’t like having a mask pressing against your eyes (or you don’t want to mess up your eye make-up) you can get a mask that’s contoured for your face. You can even get a mask that combines a sleep mask with a white noise headband!
Step 4: Set an alarm
You should set an alarm for 20 minutes. If you can’t fall asleep, don’t reset it for later, just lie there peacefully.
Step 5: Try to sleep
Here’s what should happen: caffeine takes about 15-20 minutes to get to your brain, so the goal is for you to wake up just as it’s taking effect. You’ll be waking up in stage two (out of four) in the sleep cycle, when you’re not in a really deep sleep yet. That, combined with the caffeine, should keep you from feeling groggy.
What if you’re not a napper?
Even if you don’t manage to sleep, some of those same studies showed that you still get a benefit! Just lie quietly in a dark place and relax. Don’t stress yourself out if sleep doesn’t come. Whether you sleep or not, you will still feel better.