We’ve all had a cup of cofÂfee after a nap. But maybe we’ve been doing it all wrong. Maybe we should put the cup of cofÂfee before the nap. It sounds counÂterÂinÂtuÂitive. But apparÂentÂly the cofÂfee nap–a cup of joe folÂlowed immeÂdiÂateÂly by a quick nap–has some sciÂenÂtifÂic merÂits and unexÂpectÂed health benÂeÂfits.
Over at Vox, they’ve sumÂmaÂrized the findÂings of researchers at LoughÂborÂough UniÂverÂsiÂty in the UK, who found that “when tired parÂticÂiÂpants took a 15-minute cofÂfee nap, they went on to comÂmit fewÂer errors in a driÂving simÂuÂlaÂtor than when they were givÂen only cofÂfee, or only took a nap.”
Or “a JapanÂese study found that peoÂple who took a cafÂfeine nap before takÂing a series of memÂoÂry tests perÂformed sigÂnifÂiÂcantÂly betÂter on them comÂpared with peoÂple who soleÂly took a nap, or took a nap and then washed their faces or had a bright light shone in their eyes.”
The accomÂpaÂnyÂing Vox video above explains how the cofÂfee nap works its magÂic. The biolÂoÂgy and chemÂistry all get disÂcussed in a quick two-minute clip.
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