The Nappuccino
Combine caffeine with a short nap for a temporary alertness boost
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 99%
The nappuccino combines a caffeinated drink with a 20-to-30-minute power nap. Mah explains that caffeine begins to take effect after roughly 15 minutes, so the person drinks it and lies down immediately, aiming to fall asleep within five to ten minutes. On waking, the short nap and caffeine may provide overlapping alertness benefits. She says research has found the combination more effective for alertness and performance over the following couple of hours than either caffeine or a power nap alone. The nap remains short to favor lighter sleep and reduce the sluggishness she calls sleep inertia. Mah places the tactic in the late morning or early afternoon and presents it as a temporary tool, not a replacement for sufficient nighttime sleep.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO
Core principles
- 01Caffeine takes time to become noticeable
- 02A short nap can improve alertness without entering deeper sleep
- 03The effects can overlap after waking
- 04Timing and caffeine tolerance constrain the method
How to run it
- 1
Choose an early window
Use the tactic in the late morning or early afternoon rather than near bedtime. Confirm that caffeine at that time is normally tolerable for you.
Watch out Late caffeine may make subsequent sleep more difficult.
- 2
Drink the caffeine
Have a familiar caffeinated beverage immediately before lying down. Do not experiment with an unusually large dose.
Pro tip Prepare the nap space before drinking so no setup time is lost.
Watch out Skip the method if caffeine is medically unsuitable or causes problematic side effects.
- 3
Fall asleep promptly
Try to fall asleep within five to ten minutes, before the caffeine becomes more noticeable. Keep the environment dark and quiet enough for a brief nap.
Watch out If you routinely need much longer to fall asleep, the timing mechanism may not work as intended.
- 4
Wake within 30 minutes
Set an alarm so the nap remains in the 20-to-30-minute range. Get up when it rings rather than extending into a long nap.
Pro tip Allow for your usual five-to-ten-minute sleep onset when setting the alarm.
Watch out Longer naps may produce grogginess and may affect nighttime sleep.
In the wild
The host asks whether he could have an espresso and then nap. Mah confirms the sequence: consume the caffeine, fall asleep promptly, and wake after a short power nap so both effects arrive around the same period.
→ A temporary boost in alertness for the next couple of hours, according to Mah.
Common mistakes
Napping too long
Moving into deeper sleep can create sleep inertia and may make nighttime sleep harder.
Using it as sleep replacement
Mah frames the nappuccino as a temporary alertness tool, not repayment for chronic insufficient sleep.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for caffeine users who can fall asleep quickly and tolerate a brief daytime nap.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for people sensitive to caffeine, unable to nap promptly, or using it late enough to impair nighttime sleep.
From the transcript
“take your 20 to 30 minute power nap”
“you do need to fall asleep within about 10 minutes”
From the episode
The Woman Who Helps Athletes Sleep: Stop Having Showers Just Before Bed! New Science! ‘Nappucino’ Phenomenon You Need To Know!