![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/peter.murmann.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/nap_and_coffee-150x150.jpg\")
<\/div>\nI have never tried having a cup of coffee before taking a power nap. But I will test this in the weeks to come. Here is the background in the NY Times<\/i>.<\/p>\n
THE FACTS<\/p>\n
Late November is the start of the busiest travel season of the year, when millions of drivers hit the road for long-distance treks. Many will be sleep-deprived and looking to pull over for a nap or a dose of caffeine.<\/p>\n
But the best idea may be to combine the two, and not in the order one might think.<\/p>\n
Ordinarily, sleep experts advise steering clear of coffee and other stimulants before resting, since caffeine disrupts sleep. As a result, studies on drowsy drivers have generally compared the restorative benefits of pulling over and napping versus pulling over for a cup of caffeine. Researchers have found that a 15- to 30-minute nap increases alertness and driving performance, but most studies show that drinking caffeine is a slightly superior strategy.<\/p>\n
In a series of studies, however, sleep researchers in England found that drinking a cup of coffee and then immediately taking a 15-minute nap was even more effective. The researchers tested sleep-deprived subjects in driving simulators and found that a \u201ccaffeine nap\u201d improved driving performance and reduced sleepiness better than other commonly employed techniques, including cold air, a short nap, a break with no nap or 200 milligrams of caffeine, roughly the amount in a 10-ounce cup of strong brewed coffee.<\/p>\n
This method is believed to work because the short power nap helps clear the brain of the sleep-inducing compound adenosine. Caffeine, meanwhile, takes about 20 minutes to have its physiological effect \u2014 kicking in just as the napper is awakening.<\/p>\n
THE BOTTOM LINE<\/p>\n
A cup of coffee followed by a 15-minute nap may be more restorative than either one alone.<\/p>\n
Source: NY Times<\/a><\/p>\n More on the topic of napping to improve brain power<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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