'Caff-naps' boost alertness on the nightshift

Research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) has found that coffee and a catnap could be the answer to staying alert on the nightshift, with the combination improving attention and reducing sleep inertia.

More than 1.4 million Australians are shiftworkers, with more than 200,000 regularly working night or evening shifts.

Lead researcher Dr Stephanie Centofanti from UniSA Online and the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at UniSA said the finding could help counteract the kind of sleep inertia experienced by many shiftworkers.

“Shiftworkers are often chronically sleep-deprived because they have disrupted and irregular sleep patterns,” Dr Centofanti explained.

“As a result, they commonly use a range of strategies to try to boost their alertness while on the nightshift, and these can include taking power naps and drinking coffee — yet it’s important to understand that there are disadvantages for both.

“Many workers nap during a night shift because they get so tired. But the downside is that they can experience ‘sleep inertia’ — that grogginess you have just after you wake up — and this can impair their performance and mood for up to an hour after their nap.

“Caffeine is also used by many people to stay awake and alert. But again, if you have too much coffee it can harm your overall sleep and health. And, if you use it to perk you up after a nap, it can take a good 20–30 minutes to kick in, so there’s a significant time delay before you feel the desired effect.

“A ‘caffeine-nap’ (or ‘caff-nap’) could be a viable alternative — by drinking a coffee before taking a nap, shiftworkers can gain the benefits of a 20–30-minute nap then the perk of the caffeine when they wake. It’s a win-win.”

The small pilot study — published in Chronobiology International — tested the impact of 200 mg of caffeine (equivalent to 1–2 regular cups of coffee) consumed by participants just before a 3.30 am 30-minute nap, comparing results with a placebo group.

Participants taking a ‘caffeine-nap’ showed marked improvements in both performance and alertness, indicating the potential of a ‘caffeine-nap’ to counteract sleep grogginess.

Dr Centofanti said this shows a promising fatigue countermeasure for shift workers. She says the next move is to test the new finding on more people.

To learn more about coffee napping, visit Sleep Advisor — a site dedicated to helping people get a good night’s sleep — and read the article How to Take a Coffee (Power) Nap The Right Way.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Pattanan