Sleep Versus Coffee: Which Is Better When You Are Tired?
You feel completely overwhelmed, but you know you have to hold out for a little longer. Are you reaching for a mug or pillow? This is what science says.
When to take a nap
Overall, naps have many benefits over coffee. They can enhance your brain’s learning ability, increase alertness, and improve your brain’s cognitive performance in general . Plus, sleep doesn’t cause disruptions like caffeine. A landmark study by the Department of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego found that 60-90 minutes of naps improved perception, procedural motor skills, and verbal memory significantly more than caffeine.
The downside of naps is that it takes 60 to 90 minutes, and you may not have too much time to wallow around. According to a study by Sarah Mednick, Ph.D., in Nature Neuroscience , energy sleep that lasts 10 to 30 minutes will probably still give you more than a cup of joe, but it should be timely. Sleep that lasts longer than 30 minutes but does not complete a full 60 to 90 minute sleep cycle is more likely to cause a decrease in motor dexterity and increase your sleepiness due tosleep inertia . You experience sleep inertia every morning when you wake up (so you know what this sleepiness is like), and it can take several hours to disappear. You also don’t want to sleep too late during the day, or you will disrupt your circadian rhythm . It can disrupt your sleep all night long, and tomorrow you will be even more tired.
Make naps your number one choice if you have time but aim for about 20 minutes of actual sleep (helps give yourself a 30 minute window) and plan to take a nap somewhere between 1pm and 3pm when your brain is larger. busy. tired.
When to drink coffee
If you can’t take a nap, coffee is a decent alternative. This does not take as much time as sleeping. and you don’t need to be near a bed or sleep capsule to really fall asleep. It’s definitely an easier choice, whatever one may say.
Caffeine has its benefits too. This will likely make you feel physically more alert than sleeping, for example. In the previously mentioned UC San Diego study, participants felt physically better when tested on caffeine compared to those who were asleep. Their test scores were lower, but they did not feel lethargic and unhappy like the group dozing. Caffeine may also be the best choice for middle-aged people who want to stay alert. In a French study published in the journal Sleep , participants between the ages of 40 and 50 drove better than participants in the same age group who slept. For younger study participants, sleep was still more beneficial, but for older people, a little coffee may be more beneficial than sleep. However, no matter how old you are, an Australian study shows that caffeine-driven driving when you’re out of your mind is almost always better than nothing. (But not driving when you are weak is by far the safest option.)
In short: good for making you feel physically more alert, staying alert while driving, and is one of the only options when you are pressed for time. But in general, coffee should be your second choice after sleep. Research has also shown that caffeine can improve physical performance in cyclists andoverall physical endurance in athletes.
Do both when you can.
Ah, the legendary “coffee dream”. This concept is the result of numerous studies carried out by Loughborough University in the UK. You have a cup of coffee, then you fall asleep, and when you wake up, the caffeine just kicks in. A study by Mitsuo Hayashi published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology found that naps on coffee are more effective than using bright lights or washing your face to feel more alert after sleep. Another study, published in the journal Ergonomics , also found that coffee sleep is more effective in maintaining nighttime activity and performance than regular sleep.
A coffee nap or a caffeine nap is your best bet if you can swing them around. The catch, however, is that you need to fall asleep before the caffeine takes effect. If you can handle it, this method will give you the benefits of daytime sleep minus the lethargy associated with waking up. In the worst case scenario, you get at least some benefit from caffeine. When all is said and done, there is nothing better than a good night’s sleep , but when you need to walk by, you at least have a few tools under your belt.