Why This Sleep Doctor Wants You To Take A Caffeine-Induced Nap (Yes, Really)

When it comes to caffeine and sleep, most experts would say the duo has a rocky relationship, at best. Of course, everyone responds to caffeine differently (some can tolerate an afternoon java; others will surely be up all night), but generally, the stimulant is associated with a poor circadian rhythm and disruptive sleep cycle. 

So why, then, does clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., also known as The Sleep Doctor, claim that the secret to the perfect nap is, in fact, coffee? "I call it the 'nap-a-latte,'" he says on the mindbodygreen podcast. "This is a caffeine-induced nap."

To be clear, Breus is completely on board with how caffeine can hinder sleep. "Caffeine is arguably one of the biggest offenders in our sleep," he says. The thing is, there's a difference between regular, restorative sleep and a quick, 30-minute-long cat nap. For the latter, caffeine may be more friend than foe. 

"It turns out that a buildup of something called adenosine1 in your brain is what makes you feel sleepy," notes Breus, as the compound slows down nerve cell activity in your brain (which causes drowsiness). What caffeine does is binds to those adenosine receptors2 and effectively speeds the nerve cell activity back up, which provides a jolt of energy. But here's the thing: To your nerve cells, caffeine and adenosine look the same. "If you look at the molecular structure of adenosine and the molecular structure of caffeine, they're off by one molecule," notes Breus (here's a diagram, the structural similarities highlighted in red). "The thing that makes us wake up and the thing that makes us go to sleep is literally off by one molecule."