After coffee, sleep: How does Caffeine nap work

COFFEE AND SLEEP TO ELIMINATE DROWSINESS

You are indeed reading correctly. We're talking about combining sleep with caffeine. How can this unexpected combination work when coffee is what we use to fight sleep? The fact that coffee and sleep work perfectly together against fatigue is confirmed by the results of a study conducted by scientists at Loughborough University.

Researchers tried to "cure" 12 tired study participants of drowsiness so that they couldregain enough energy during a 30-minute break for a 2-hour monotonous drive in a car simulator. Caffeine alone was very effective on drowsiness, but when combined with a short nap, fatigue was eliminated.

CAFFEINE+ POWER NAP = CAFFEINE NAP

The secret to this magical combination for energy is theeffect of sleep on the release of adenosine receptors and the ability of caffeine to latch onto them. It's a combination of the effects of caffeine with the power nap, a short sleep technique that delivers large amounts of energy. For a better understanding of this collaboration called the Caffeine nap, it's good to understand how the two work separately.

TAKE A TWENTY OR POWER NAP

The literal translation of power nap - power sleep - basically describes its effect. Itis anap that gives strength. During the day, adenosine receptors naturally trap adenosine. Adenosine receptors are such cellular receivers primarily in the brain. They usually pick up a substance called adenosine, which is continuously present in our body during the day, essentially sending us to rest.

At the moment when there is a lot of adenosine trapped in the receptors we feel tired.In the evening there should be enough adenosine trapped in these receptors to feel tired enough to go to sleep. Our circadian rhythms, i.e. the internal clock of our body, are thus related to adenosine uptake. Sleep then clears the receptors of adenosine.

DON'T FORGET YOUR ALARM CLOCK

Thepower naptechnique uses this function of cleaning the adenosine receptors through sleep. Within twenty minutes, we naturally rid ourselves of large amounts of adenosine so that we don't feel tired. However, it is the length of the nap that is important. The time for sleep - max. 30 minutes - is not only limited in terms of the amount of work break time we can afford during the day .

By exceeding this time limit for a power nap, our sleep, which until now has been in the so-called REM phase, shifts into deep sleep. In the event that we get into deep sleep, it is a pleasure to wake up from it and when we do, we will still feel tired. It is therefore important to control nap time and set early wake-up times. Your power nap should therefore last between 15 and 30 minutes.

GRADUAL ONSET OF CAFFEINE

At this point, we come to an explanation of how a power nap can successfully work with caffeine. We start from the premise that caffeine is an adenosine antagonist. It is its opponent, a substance with the opposite effect. Yet, like adenosine, it can bind to exactly the same receptors. This ability explains why it is so effective against fatigue.

After drinking coffee, it takes a while for the caffeine to reach those receptors. First the caffeine has to get into the bloodstream and find its way to those adenosine receptors in the brain. It takes him about20 minutes to complete his adventurous journey . Which is exactly the 20 minutes it takes to do a power nap.

RELAXED RECEPTORS FOR BETTER CAFFEINE EFFECTS

This already perfectly complementary effect of sleep and coffee is made even more effective by the fact that thePower Nap has cleared the receptors of adenosine. Thus, the caffeine, which only reaches them a few minutes after drinking, has them all relaxed for itself! He doesn't have to fight adenosine for them, as it has disappeared in the meantime through sleep.

Thus caffeine has a chance to latch onto more receptors than if we had our afternoon coffee without sleep. This also increases its stimulating effect and we wake up refreshed and with the caffeine just kicking in, we can get energetically to work.

ESPRESSO AS THE IDEAL COFFEE FOR A CAFFEINE NAP

For these reasons, we could now modify the well-known saying "have a twenty" to "have an espresso and a twenty". Given how the Caffeine Nap works, it is more than fitting to use espressoas a suitable caffeine carrier for this purpose.

Time plays an important role in this "coffee nap". Inorder to coordinate well the time for sleep and the start of the caffeine's action, we need to drink the coffee as quickly and immediately before falling asleep as possible. This is why espresso is more than suitable, as it was created for quick consumption. However, we can use any other coffee drink as long as we drink it in a short time.

A SETTING FOR A "CAFFEINE NAP"

Acomfortable place in a quiet and peaceful environment, preferably with dim light,is suitable for a successful Caffeine Nap . For example, use a sleep mask and earplugs to minimize distractions. People working from home will have it a little easier. However, the benefits of napping are becoming more widely known and some companies in America and Japan have already responded by creating 'nap rooms' for their employees.

GOOD TIMES FOR COFFEE AND SLEEP

Given thecircadian rhythmsalready mentioned , it is a good idea to schedule this caffeine nap for early afternoon or shortly after noon. A later Caffeine nap could result inproblems falling asleep in the evening and upset our sleep schedule. Also, because of the pulsatile secretion of cortisol into the body, which reaches three peaks during the day, thetime after noon is optimal for coffee and napping.

During the day, our body naturally produces cortisol, which mainly takes care of metabolic functions in our body. This includes the metabolism of glucose, which brings energy to the body. One of the peaks in cortisol levels during the day is right around noon. In order not to upset this natural process, it is a good idea to apply Caffeine nap after noon.

TRY IT FOR YOURSELF

Now you know all the essentials about the energetic effects of the coffee-sleep connection. So there's nothing to do but try this 20-minute recharging spell for yourself. Prepare a comfortable place to sleep, make yourself an espresso from freshly roasted coffee and indulge in the power of a "caffeine nap".