Back to coffee naps
jasonleow • 13 Mar 2025 •
Coffee naps are such a life saver, yet I forgot all about it.
Reader’s note: Coffee naps are 15-30min power naps that you take immediately after drinking coffee. Counterintuitive but it works - the caffeine haven’t kicked in yet, but napping flushes out the adenosine (makes you drowsy) in your brain, which caffeine takes over, therefore boosting alertness.
I mean, I used to do it. Back in 2020, 2021, those early baby years. I enjoyed it. I experienced its benefits for myself. So I know this. But stopped doing it since.
Don’t know why I fought having coffee naps this long.
I think out of survival anxiety in 2022-2024 I keep feeling like I need to keep working, and kept fighting taking a measly 15min timeout. Maybe that’s why now I feel that I can, because things are better at present.
So now when I feel the post-lunch drowsiness, I simply get up from my chair, and go straight to bed. No alarms even. My body naturally wakes after 10-15min.
And I’m awake and alert for the rest of the afternoon. Feels great. Less struggle. Less willpower.
Works like magic.
Highly recommended for all indie dads and mums.
Comments
I take a long time to drink my coffee (usually after it gets cold) so I’m not sure how it’ll work for me. I also struggle with short naps. If my head hits the pillow it’s going to be a 45min+ “nap” 😅
lol same here I take coffee slowly and if take it quickly for the nap, I worry the coffee kick in before I fall sleep.
@knight Yes usually I take my time to drink my post lunch coffee, continue working. Usually I finish within 30min max. Then once the drowsiness hits, I get up and nap for 15min. Coffee don’t kick in so fast I think… but everyone’s reacts to it differently so if you feel effect fast, then yeah drink it faster then go nap straightaway before it kicks in.
@haideralmosawi I used to think that too. Usually a sign of sleep deprivation. But decided to try it with an alarm clock and it really works. 15min you just drop into light sleep for a moment, and you’re back, but it refreshes you despite. If I nap for >45min I wake up feel groggy and even more tired.
mmmmm don’t get it how this work, so you make a coffee, drink it immediatelly then go sleep?