Nappuccino - What Does It Do And Why Do You Need It At Work?

Are you often seen taking a coffee break? Do you struggle to stay awake post lunch, or is it a recurring struggle to keep your eyes wide open during the afternoon? The struggle against afternoon slumps is among employees' most common challenges. Despite that, it is rarely addressed or taken into account.

You probably wouldn't drink coffee before sleeping, would you? In fact, it can make it difficult to fall asleep and defeats the purpose altogether. Nevertheless, this isn't always the case anymore; caffeine kicks in 20-25 minutes after consumption, giving you plenty of time to nap.

Drowsiness after lunch is one of the biggest performance killers. The hardest part of a 9-5 job is battling lethargy. If you can stay focused at work as well as you did a few hours earlier, then don't panic; you're not alone in this.

It is natural for your body's circadian rhythm to get a little drowsy at a certain time of the day. And according to the Harvard Medical School, workplace sleepiness and drowsy employees cost the average-sized Fortune 500 company around $80 million a year.

This article will explore nappuccino and how it can help you effectively deal with your afternoon drowsiness at work.

What Is Nappuccino?

Nappuccino is a term coined by Daniel Pink to describe a coffee nap, a combination of a power nap with a little caffeine. The combination of coffee and power nap can create synergy. You feel more alert and productive when you take both of them instead of just caffeine or a nap alone.

In his 2018 productivity hacking book, Pink stated that 20 minutes of napping with a coffee could improve your life. Studies from Japan to the United States have supported that taking a short nap in the afternoon followed by a jolt of coffee can keep you awake and productive.

The health benefits of taking a nap are immense, and studies have even found that it can make you more aware of your surroundings and further help you to make better decisions and improve problem-solving.

Coffee naps are great for getting some rest without ruining your entire day. Unlike other power naps, which can be taken at any time of the day, they should be taken in the afternoon.

Here are some scientifically proven facts about why coffee naps or nappuccinos are your best alternatives to boost productivity at work -

• Loughborough University researchers conducted a small study with 12 participants using a driving simulator. A significant improvement was observed in the performance of those who both consumed caffeine and napped, compared to control subjects who either consumed caffeine or napped only.

• Another study stated that it is more effective than other naps because of the organic compound Adenosine found there. The body produces lower adenosine levels when taking a nap. In contrast, caffeine suppresses adenosine, which makes you feel more alert because caffeine competes with it for receptors.

How To Take A Nappuccino At Work?

Nappuccinos is a great way to dial down your drowsiness post-lunch at work. The benefits of taking a power nap at work have been discussed, but coffee naps aren't discussed or researched exhaustively, even though there are no published works supporting the benefits of coffee naps because of the common dynamics behind caffeine and sleep and how both work together.

The practice of napping might not be appropriate for everyone, especially if you suffer from insomnia. However, if you're looking for a more strategic way to combat your sluggishness at work, maybe a well-planned nap can help.

Here are a few ways how you can try taking a coffee nap at work effectively -

• Try to keep your naps between 10-20 minutes long. The optimal nap length for a nappuccino is 20 minutes. The longer your sleep duration, the more you are prone to going into a deeper state of sleep. It will cause you a sleep hangover and cause sluggishness. If you sleep more than 20 minutes, then it will not benefit you.

• Drink a cup of coffee before your nap as quickly as possible. Since the effects of caffeine take 30 minutes or longer to kick in, if you take the coffee way before your sleep, then the caffeine will kick in. It will make it harder for you to fall asleep.

• For a proper nappuccino, sleep expert Micheal Breus, Ph.D., recommends you drink 6-8 ounces of coffee (90-100mg of caffeine) as quickly as possible before your nap.

• Try to time your coffee nap around the same time during the afternoon, preferably between 2 pm and 3 pm. You should schedule your coffee naps based on your slump hours post-waking up (roughly seven hours after you wake up in the morning).

• Do not make it a daily habit to take a coffee nap, as it will further disrupt your circadian cycle. Try to take it twice or thrice a week.

Why Do You Need A Nappuccino At Work?

Taking a nap or power nap at work is highly recommended as it has a wide range of benefits for your health and professional skills. Short naps, in general, have a lot of health benefits, and when combined with some caffeine, it surely works magic for boosting your productivity.

"The well-timed nap can make you more productive at work and at home." - Harvard Medical School.

Here are a few reasons why you need a nappuccino at work -

• Coffee naps, or nappuccino as coined by Daniel Pink, has a similar effect on your body as any other power nap but with a little more alertness because of the caffeine.

• Taking a nap regularly, be it a coffee nap or a regular short nap, can help you to reduce your blood pressure and improve your immunity level.

• It also helps to reduce stress hormones and lower your chances of getting heart disease.

• It has a positive effect on your creativity and productivity skills.

• It further increases your brain's ability to process complex information and make better decisions.

• It helps reduce stress and reverse the deterioration in visual perception, making it easier for you to cope with overwork or overwhelming information at work.

Non-coffee Alternatives For A Nappuccino

Coffee might not be your drink, and that's completely fine. If you don't prefer coffee yet and struggle to stay awake post lunch at work, don't worry; there are many alternatives for a nappuccino with a similar amount of caffeine.

Here are a few suggestions for brew and supplements that can give you those caffeine kicks big enough for a coffee nap -

1. Tea

You can always opt for tea if you're not a coffee drinker. Tea, too, contains caffeine. You can go for black tea or oolong tea as they have the highest caffeine content.

2. Guarana

Guarana is the best possible alternative to coffee if you want a strong caffeine booster. There is twice as much caffeine in the seeds of guarana berries as in coffee beans.

Furthermore, it can be ingested quickly, making it the perfect choice for a nappuccino. The most common form is pills, which are also available as drinks.

3. Matcha

If you're an avid green tea drinker and coffee doesn't fit your diet, you can opt for matcha before the nap. Matcha is typically a green tea rich in antioxidants and caffeine.

4. Mate

Mate is a bitter-tea-like beverage mostly consumed in countries like Argentina and Chile. When prepared properly, a cup of tea with a mate contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

5. Cocoa

Cocoa is one of the most common and easily found coffee alternatives. You can either ingest it as a chocolate bar or as a drink. It contains the stimulant theobromine and a much lesser amount of caffeine. It is a great alternative to an energy drink if you are running low on energy.

Summing It Up

Naps are always a good idea after a long day at work or if you are sleep deprived. A coffee nap may not completely compensate for lost sleep, but it will certainly boost your energy, allowing you to push for the rest of the day.

It doesn't matter whether you have a nap pod at work; a coffee nap can help boost your productivity in the afternoon.

I hope this article helped you understand what nappuccino is and why it is so popular at work.