Feeling Drained? Here's How to Take a Coffee Nap. Two great tastes that taste great together.

By Nina Zipkin

graphicstock

If you're exhausted but have to power through the rest of the day, you have a few options at your disposal: you can grab that extra dose of caffeine or pull yourself away from work to take a quick nap.

But apparently, if you combine the two, science says that you'll actually be more productive than if you just rely on one or the other.

Related: Do You Drink More Coffee Than Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Other Creative Leaders?

Here's how it works. Consume caffeine then immediately go to sleep, but only for up to 20 minutes. More than 20 minutes and you'll fall into a deeper sleep and find it tough to get going again. But within the 20-minute sweet spot, the sleep will help clear your head and by the time you wake up, the caffeine will have hit your bloodstream, ready to help you feel more alert.

A couple of studies reflect this. An English study found that with coffee and a 15-minute nap, participants made fewer mistakes in a driving simulation. A Japanese study found that when participants took a coffee nap, they did better on memory tests than those who just consumed caffeine or napped.

Would you give this a try? Let us know.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Business News

What's Open on Easter Sunday? Costco and Target Will Close, But One Major Retailer Will Be Open. Here's What To Know.

The stock market was closed for Good Friday on April 18. Here's what's closed for Easter Sunday, April 20.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Marketing

The One Mistake Is Putting Your Brand Reputation at Risk — and Most Startups Still Make It

Many businesses pour resources into branding and marketing but overlook PR — yet it's PR that builds the trust, credibility, and reputation that turn attention into lasting revenue in a crowded market.

Leadership

Here's What It Takes to Evolve From Hands-On Founder to Strategic CEO

Making the leap from founder to CEO requires more than just growth — it demands a shift in mindset.

Marketing

If You're Using ChatGPT This Way as a Marketer, You're Missing Out on Its Full Potential. Here's How to Maximize Your Results.

The real value of AI isn't in what you ask — it's in how you shape the conversation. Mastering prompt interactions means better content, sharper thinking and fewer generic outputs.