Take a break the right way

We’ve all been there — trying to claw your way through another days study, craving the seasons ‘must have’ coffee, and equally, wanting to head home and take a nap. So, why not combine the two?

One thing you’re likely to become accustomed to at University is the ability to take a nap, whatever time of day and for whatever period of time. Often you’ll wake up and you’ve missed three birthdays, the leaves have changed colour and you don’t know what time of day it is.

Taking a nap in amongst your busy schedule is a surefire way to keep your energy up and ensure you get the most out of your day; especially when you’re juggling your studies, a job, and whatever other commitments you may have.

What you may not know is that introducing coffee into your daily nap may help to leave you feeling more refreshed when you wake up and try to tackle the rest of your day. A nap powered by science; what could be more justifiable?

Many of us might claim that the first sip of coffee on a bleak Monday morning instantly makes us feel more awake, but caffeine takes at least twenty minutes to have any considerable effect on the body. Therefore, taking your coffee before a fifteen to twenty-minute nap might just jolt you into getting that assignment written a bit more effectively.

The seemingly contradictory phenomenon was initially studied by scientists at Loughborough University, finding that participants who had partaken in a caffeine-fuelled nap proved more effective whilst in a driving simulation test.

Proven to be more effective than simply drinking a cup of coffee or taking a nap alone, coffee napping, although it may sound like a major contradiction,  might just be the recharge you need during those deadline-filled weeks or exam periods!