Feeling tired all the time? Coffee naps may be the answer.

Waking up and on the run at 4 am can take its toll on a person. Too often, we sacrifice our sleep to keep up when balancing the farm and life. This constant running on fumes can leave a person stressed and at risk of illness and injury. But what can we do when the balancing act between the farm and life doesn’t allow us to get the 8-10 hours of recommended sleep?

Coffee naps may be part of the answer to help you feel less sleep deprived. Coffee naps are precisely what they sound like. Drink a cup of coffee before lying down for a 20 to 30-minute nap. I usually set my timer for 30 minutes but often wake up earlier. The reason why I naturally wake up around the 30-minute mark is that caffeine hits its peak in our bodies around 30 minutes after drinking it. Even if you don’t fall asleep during that time, just the combination of taking that rest and drinking the caffeine will improve your day. Don’t like coffee? Anything with caffeine will do but try to stay away from drinks with a lot of sugar, as it can mess with the science.

The science continues to agree with the practice of coffee naps compared to just the nap or just the coffee. Coffee naps have been found to improve mental and physical performance, problem-solving, and mental sharpness during tasks when compared to just napping or just drinking coffee alone. If you are feeling tired, give it a try but be patient, as you will need to find the amount of caffeine and the amount of time that is right for you. Just like everything you do on the farm, it usually doesn’t work perfectly the first time. So, before the afternoon milking, find time to drink a cup of coffee, pull down your cap, and take a nap. If someone tries to wake you, tell them you are doing this for science.

By Will Stutterheim M.S., LCP, Fort Hays State University