A drop in energy is completely normal after a meal (when digesting) or in the middle of the afternoon. However, the modern work schedule is rarely adapted to this natural need for rest during the day, felt by many of us.

Before the industrial era, it was normal to simply adjust our working hours to our internal clock. We could afford to nap in the afternoon when fatigue set in, instead of fighting against it. It was also seen as normal to stop working when natural light diminished. A habit that the invention of artificial light has disrupted.

Nowadays, since we can’t adjust our work schedules to our internal clocks, caffeine has been a great ally! It allows us to continue performing despite a drop in energy. The mid-afternoon coffee has almost become an indispensable solution in our work culture.

At Recharjme, we have nothing against caffeine, but let’s think today about another tool we can use during our days to reduce fatigue: napping!

Sleep and Caffeine

One of the factors that determine our sleep rhythm (circadian rhythm) is a chemical substance called adenosine. Adenosine accumulates in our brain from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep. It helps our brain build what is called sleep pressure throughout the day.

In other words, our desire to sleep accumulates during the day thanks to adenosine. Pretty intuitive, right? That being said, it is possible to artificially block the receptors that cause fatigue with coffee. Caffeine allows us to feel awake, be more alert, and strengthen our cognitive functions. It’s clear why coffee has become such a precious ally for many of us during our long workdays.

Caffeine literally fights on our behalf to counter the effects of sleep pressure and be more cognitively efficient. A perfect solution, right? Yes, but no.

The Limits of Coffee

Did you know it is recommended not to consume coffee at least 8 hours before going to bed? In fact, caffeine will persist in your system for much longer, but research considers that the half-life of caffeine in our system is 5 to 7 hours. This means that even after 7 hours, our sleep receptors are still affected.

Imagine you have a coffee at 2 PM. This means that at 9 PM, 50% of the caffeine is still present in your body and interferes with your sleep signals and adenosine.

Afternoon coffee consumption can affect the quality of your sleep in various ways:

• It delays the time you feel tired

• It makes you lose precious minutes of sleep

• It causes symptoms similar to insomnia

• It reduces the amount of restorative deep sleep during nighttime since it becomes more difficult for the brain to enter slow-wave phases

Napping

Napping, on the other hand, has many beneficial effects without the negative side effects of coffee. For example, napping:

• Improves decision making

• Enhances cognitive performance

• Increases the ability to process and store information

• Reduces the number of accidents or errors due to fatigue

• Reduces mood swings

• Helps make up for lost deep sleep

• Makes you more creative, productive, focused, attentive, alert, and vigilant

Once again, we don’t want to demonize coffee or make you feel bad about drinking it. We simply want you to know that coffee is not the ONLY solution to fatigue. You can make other choices from time to time.

In short, maybe you’ll think of us next time a yawn escapes your mouth around 2 PM