Key Takeaways
- A nappuccino is exactly what it sounds like: you drink a cup of coffee, then immediately take a short nap—ideally between 15 and 25 minutes.
- If you find yourself needing to nap on a daily basis, check in with a healthcare professional.
- If napping often leaves you groggy, a nappuccino might be a good alternative, but it won’t eradicate fatigue completely.
As much as I love napping, afternoon snoozes are kind of a risk for me—either I’ll wake up feeling replenished and sharp, or I’ll wake up groggy and more tired than before I climbed into bed.
This is where the “nappuccino” comes in. It’s a strategic way to combine coffee with naps to boost energy and keep grogginess at bay. Essentially, you drink a cup of coffee, then immediately lie down for a short nap—ideally around 20 minutes.
How a ‘Nappuccino’ Works
“A well-timed ‘nappuccino’ is one of the most effective short-term energy strategies,” says Mark Kovacs, PhD, a human performance scientist and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Kovacs uses caffeine naps himself and has recommended them to his coaching clients for over 15 years.
It typically takes about 20 to 45 minutes for caffeine to be fully absorbed and start affecting your alertness. So, if you can fall asleep quickly, you may wake up right as the caffeine starts to take effect, Kovacs says. “Since the nap duration is short and caffeine is onboard, you’re less likely to fall into deep sleep and experience grogginess.”
My Ground Rules for the Experiment
As someone who’s frequently tired, I decided to give nappuccinos a shot (no pun intended). For consistency, I kept the rules simple:
- Drink a single cup of coffee before napping
- Try it every day around the same time (2:00–3:00 p.m.)
- Set an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes
Short naps are preferable. If you nap for longer than 30 minutes, you’re likely to slip into a deeper sleep, according to Julio Baute, MD, a physician at Invigor Medical.
“Waking from that stage leaves many people in a ‘sleep inertia’ for 30 or 60 minutes,” Baute explains. “With a coffee nap, keeping it under 20 also lines up with when caffeine starts working, so you wake clearer rather than foggy.”
A Day-by-Day Recap
For one week, I took a nappuccino every afternoon and tracked how I felt. Here’s how it went.
Day 1: Light Dozing
I drank my coffee quickly, lay down, and… didn’t fall asleep. I relaxed for about 10 minutes before my brain piped up with grocery lists and unfinished Slack messages.
I felt alright afterward—not any more alert, but also not as groggy as I’d usually be if I had an unsuccessful nap.
Day 2: Surprisingly Refreshed
I actually fell asleep today! As I was waking up, I tried to bargain with myself for an extra half-hour of sleep. I didn’t give in to the temptation, and once I had a glass of water and returned to my desk, I actually felt quite refreshed.
Day 3: Knocked Out
I slept badly last night, so after my coffee, I conked out within minutes. Woke up to my alarm, confused but weirdly refreshed and focused. I even answered emails without rereading them four times.
Day 4: Didn’t Fall Asleep
Although I looked forward to my afternoon nap, I actually couldn’t sleep once I got to 3 p.m.
Instead, I hovered in a dreamy, semi-sleepy state. It felt a bit like yoga nidra or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), which is the practice of resting deeply without actually sleeping.
While I couldn’t properly fall asleep, lying down felt calming—and I was more focused afterward.
Day 5: Slept Through the Alarm
Whoops. I set a 25-minute timer but ended up napping for over an hour. I woke up feeling a little groggy.
Lesson learned—while caffeine can help you feel more alert after a nap, it won’t protect you from the consequences of sleeping for too long.
Day 6: Right on Target
Back on track! Drank coffee slowly, got under a light blanket, and dozed off for about 15 minutes. When I woke up, I felt genuinely energized. Not hyper, not sleepy—just good.
Day 7: Final Test Run
By Sunday, I had the system down. I napped around 2:30p.m., after finishing some (exhausting) errands.
To me, this showed that caffeine naps can be great for weekends and not just work days. It felt like a reset button for my afternoon, which I really needed.
With a coffee nap, keeping it under 20 also lines up with when caffeine starts working, so you wake clearer rather than foggy.
What I Noticed by the End of the Week
Here’s what stood out:
- It felt better than a regular nap. Maybe it’s just because I love coffee and naps, but I loved the ritual itself. It was nice to schedule some me-time in the middle of the day.
- I felt less groggy. I occasionally wake up from naps in a groggy, worse-than-before state. This week, that wasn’t the case.
- I didn’t fall asleep every time. I struggled to fall asleep on some days. Still, lying down felt relaxing and restorative.
After a week of nappuccinos, I saw why Kovacs was such a fan. I wasn’t suddenly superhuman, but on days when I needed a boost, it made a difference.
Will I keep doing it daily? Probably not—but I’ll definitely keep it in my toolkit for especially sluggish afternoons.
How to Try It Yourself
If you’re curious, here’s how to give the nappuccino a shot:
- Do it around 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Baute and Kovacs both suggest napping during the “afternoon slump”—usually just after lunch.
- Drink your coffee quickly, then lie down. Use a timer to keep your nap between 20 and 30 minutes. Experiment to find which exact time works best for you.
- Treat it like a ritual. Dim lights, ditch your phone, and give your brain permission to rest.
- Don’t stress if you can’t sleep. “Even just lying down with eyes closed can reduce sensory input and lower brain fatigue,” Kovacs says.
Kovacs is a huge proponent of using caffeine naps, especially if you’re jet lagged or want to sharpen your focus in the afternoon. He also recommends it for athletic recovery and creative work.
Research shows that caffeine naps can be particularly helpful to night shift workers and sleep-deprived athletes.
A Word of Warning
While nappuccinos are generally safe for most people, Baute wouldn’t recommend them to people with insomnia.
“Napping drains the sleep drive you need to fall asleep later, and caffeine can keep the brain on the alert,” he explains. “That combo makes bedtime harder and can prolong the insomnia cycle.”
Even if you don’t have insomnia, be careful not to overdo it. Napping frequently can disrupt your sleep patterns and mask underlying sleep issues.
“If someone consistently needs a nap every day to get through normal tasks (or experiences brain fog, low energy, or mood swings), it may signal a deeper issue,” Kovacs says.
