Feeling tired in the early-to-mid afternoon can be attributed to a dip in our circadian rhythm — a “nappuccino” can help get you through it.
“The ‘nappuccino’ is drinking a cup of coffee, right before you take a 20-minute nap,” said Keisha Sullivan, a sleep medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente, in Largo, Maryland. “The idea is, when you wake up, you feel more refreshed when that caffeine kicks in.”
If a 20-minute nap is helpful, wouldn’t a two-hour nap be better? Not in this case, said Sullivan.
“Taking a 20- or 30-minute nap, you won’t go into REM, or dream sleep,” said Sullivan. “When you wake up out of REM sleep, that can make you more groggy.”
In addition, taking too long a nap can affect your nighttime sleeping.
“So, we recommend (napping) for a short period of time to prevent any issues, when you get ready to go to bed,” said Sullivan.
The combination of caffeine and a nap can make a drooping person more alert, improve cognitive function, and feel more refreshed.
And if she were writing a prescription to mentally and physically recharge?
“After lunch, when you feel that midday slump coming on, I would take the ‘nappuccino’ at that time,” said Sullivan.
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