You feel completely wiped out, but you know you better push through for just a little bit longer.
Do you reach for a mug or a pillow?
Heres what science has to say.
When to Take a Nap
Overall, naps have a lot of advantages over drinking coffee.
They canboost your brains learning capacity,improve alertness, andgenerally improve your brains cognitive abilities.
Plus, naps dont have a crash associated with them like caffeine does.
You alsodont want to nap too late in the dayor youll end up throwing off yourcircadian rhythm.
That can throw off your sleep for the whole night, making you even more tired tomorrow.
When to Drink Coffee
If you cant nap, coffee is a decent alternative.
It doesnt take up as much time as napping would.
and you dont have to be around a bed or sleep pod for actually fall asleep.
Its definitely the easier choice, no matter how you look at it.
Caffeine has its own advantages, too.
It will probably make youfeelmore physically awake than a nap, for example.
Their test scores were lower, but they didnt feel groggy and miserable like the napping group.
Caffeine may also be a better choice for middle-aged people who want to stay alert.
(Butnotdriving at all when youre groggy is certainly the safest option.)
But in general, coffee is should be your second choice to napping.
Studies have also shown that caffeine canimprove physical performance in cyclistsandimprove overall physical endurancein athletes.
Worst case scenario, you at least get some benefits from the caffeine.
Image byAnastasiaNess(Shutterstock) and remixed by Nick Criscuolo.
