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www.coastba.com.au
Catnap will get you through
How a coffee and sleep can improve att ention
DALLAS SHERRINGHAM
HAVING a catnap and a coffee on nightshift can be good for you, according to a new report.
Now, we have known about the coff ee bit from time immemorial, but the catnap idea was always a “no no” because the general consensus was that it did not help and actually made you sleepier.
But it seems now a simple coff ee and a quick catnap could be the cure for staying alert on the nightshift as new research from the University of South Australia shows that this unlikely combination can improve att ention and reduce sleep inertia.
In Australia, more than 1.4 million people are employed in shift work, with more than 200,000 regularly working night or evening shift s.
Lead researcher Dr Stephanie Centofanti from UniSA Online and the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at UniSA said the fi nding could help counteract the kind of sleep inertia that is experienced by many shift workers. “Shift workers are oft en chronically sleep-deprived because they have disrupted and irregular sleep patt erns,” Dr Centofanti said. “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 coff ee – 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 aft er you wake up – and this can impair their performance and mood for up to an hour aft er their nap.
Showing a marked improvement “Caff eine is also used by many people to stay awake and alert. But again if you have too much coff ee it can harm your overall sleep and health. And, if you use it to perk you up aft er a nap, it can take a good 20 to 30 minutes to kick in, so there is a signifi cant time delay before you feel the desired eff ect. “A ‘caff eine-nap’or ‘caff -nap’ could be a viable alternative – by drinking a coff ee before taking a nap, shift workers can gain the benefi ts of a 20 to 30-minute nap then the perk of the caff eine when they wake. It’s a win-win.”
Th e small pilot study tested the impact of 200 mg of caff eine (equivalent to 1-2 regular cups of coff ee) consumed by participants just before a 3.30am 30-minute nap, comparing results with a group that took a placebo.
Participants taking a ‘caff eine-nap’ showed marked improvements in both performance and alertness, indicating the potential of a ‘caff eine-nap’ to counteract sleep grogginess.
Dr Centofanti said this showed a promising fatigue countermeasure for shift workers. She said the next move was to test the new fi nding on more people.
Dr Stephanie Centofanti.
FOOTNOTE: I have been telling our Editor-in-chief that going to sleep on the job can actually be good for you, but he does not tend to agree during the daylight hours! But he does say: “Have another coff ee and keep going”.
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AUGUST SEPTEMBER 2020 ISSUE 29 CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS
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