Caffeine vs Nap vs Placebo on Memory and Performance

Caffeine vs Nap vs Placebo on Memory and Performance

Type: Crossover randomized controlled trial

Registration: PMCID: PMC2603066

Status: Published

Tags: Cognitive performance, Fatigue & alertness, General population, RCT

External URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2603066/

Summary

Compared 200 mg caffeine, 60–90 min nap, and placebo on memory and performance; napping improved some tasks vs caffeine.

Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls

A crossover RCT how brief, scheduled on‑shift naps (timing/length) found sleep & alertness for night‑shift workers and night owls. Findings add structure to the idea that the circadian low can be managed by how rest is divided and timed on duty. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.

Tags

  • Cognitive performance
  • Fatigue & alertness
  • General population
  • RCT

Notes

General adult sample.

← Back to Research