As much as we hate all-nighters, it is virtually impossible to avoid them in college but studying through the night doesn’t have to mean studying without sleep. With proper time-management and a study plan, you can finish all of your work on time while having meaningful rest in between.

This way you can get the most out of your studying and not emerge as a zombie when it’s over. I recommend power naps because they are very easy to implement and are great tools for sustaining study sessions over prolonged periods of time.

Power naps are typically 20 minutes long and are beneficial for increasing alertness, concentration, energy, memory, and cognitive functioning. There are also different variations of power naps such as coffee naps, which are the strategic consumption of caffeine prior to rest.

What you will need:

• Timer

How it works:

• Consume one to two servings of caffeine
• Take a 20-minute nap
• Stretch

Why it works: Easy version

• The effect of caffeine peaks half an hour to an hour after consumption so you should be able to rest for 20-30 minutes and wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy. 
• Research has found that the combination of caffeine and naps are more effective at improving performance than drinking coffee alone, naps alone, or naps combined with face washing or light exposure.

Why it works: Science-y version

• Caffeine competes with adenosine, a natural chemical associated with sleepiness, for the same neural receptors. This coupled with sleep’s role in filtering the body of adenosine further heightens the effect of caffeine.

Of course, everyone is different so I recommend using this caffeine calculator to determine a safe limit for your weight. However, in general, most adults can safely drink between 300 mg – 400 mg of caffeine per day.

This is equivalent to:

• 3 cups of coffee (or a single Starbucks Venti)
• 5 regular-sized Red Bulls
• 2.5 regular-sized Monster energy drinks

Note: If your body is sensitive to caffeine and you want to avoid the jitters then a 20-minute power nap without caffeine will work just as fine.

It’s Easy as 1-2-3

Step 1: Drink one to two servings of coffee. Most studies use 200 mg of caffeine in a single sitting, which is approximately 2 cups of coffee, but choose a serving size that works best for you. It is also a great idea to schedule a coffee nap right before your usual bedtime so you can overcome that wave of drowsiness.

Keep in mind that the speed in which your body metabolizes caffeine may differ so readjust the timing to one that works best for you.

• Ex 1: John knows that he experiences the effects of caffeine by the 40-minute mark so he drinks his coffee and waits twenty minutes. He then uses the remaining twenty minutes to take his nap.

• Ex 2: Jane knows that she experiences the effects of caffeine by the 20-minute mark so she drinks her coffee and immediately takes her 20-minute nap.

Step 2: Take a 20-minute nap. Aim for a 20 to 30 minute rest period in a dimly lit room. I recommend using a timer to avoid oversleeping and one that gradually becomes louder so it can ease you out of bed (e.g., progressive alarm clock). This is important because the grogginess or “sleep inertia” we often experience is due to abrupt wakefulness.

Step 3: Get out of bed and stretch. Once your alarm clock rings it may be tempting to lounge around for a few minutes but don’t give in. Pull yourself out of bed and start stretching to get your blood pumping and your mind ready for the task at hand. 

• If it is during the day, open the blinds to let the sunshine and fresh air in. 
• If it is in the evening, crank up the heat to promote alertness and prevent drowsiness. Our body begins to cool down when it prepares to sleep but if you keep yourself warm you can prolong this process.

Power naps have done wonders for me and are a major reason why I was able to work productively for long periods of time when I was an undergraduate and now as a graduate student. It may seem trivial at first but trust me when I say a little goes a long way. Of course, this may not work for everyone so give it a practice round to see if it is something you want to add to your list of smart study strategies.