I support the napping for productivity without having artificial stimulants (OK, natural organic drugs) involved.
The studies likely involved mostly habitual users rather than unindoctrinated subjects, but from the abstracts' documentation it is difficult to be sure. Perhaps the researchers did not recognize the distinction and just selected random participants, therefore likely to include mostly habitual users.
When I was a caffeine addict (habitual user) I could also
sleep after ingestion.
In fact without a fix right before bedtime it was more difficult to get to sleep because nominal concentration level was unsatisfied, resulting more in agitation than identifiable craving.
A nice hit would actually help me relax.
I was not the only one who could relate to this as an indication of true addiction, where you need the substance just to be normal.
Complete withdrawal took a few weeks (of hellish tiredness, achiness, and irritability) but after this it was even easier to more alertly conduct high-stamina activities and out-perform my still-addicted colleagues without the toxic load on my system.
Sleep & nap much more productively without it after kicking the habit too.
Sure can write a lot better code when drug (addiction) free as well.
When I do feel it's necessary (never for marathon coding), a single cup of coffee (after I have already been awake 24hrs and need a little boost) naturally keeps my otherwise drug-free system awake for the next 24hrs easily which can be helpful for things like long-distance driving once or twice per year.
As an addict I would have needed two or three times my nominal habitual doses to feel as alert on those same lonely roads.
To me coding does not benefit from this type of non-stop alertness, even if you are working to exhaustion, when tiredness truly comes a plain nap is better whether it is after 6hrs, 12hrs, 20hrs, whatever, then freshly go into another session, exahustion relieved.
Same with driving too, but if the schedule is too tight, a couple times a year will not make you a habitual user like everyday dosage does.
I'd rather drive slow for long hours than exceed the speed limit, waste energy, and prematurely wear out my machinery.
YMMV [0] but just because everybody does caffeine won't make it good for you, especially in the long run.
[0] depending largely on body weight, metabolism, and dosage, and for driving, road speed
The studies likely involved mostly habitual users rather than unindoctrinated subjects, but from the abstracts' documentation it is difficult to be sure. Perhaps the researchers did not recognize the distinction and just selected random participants, therefore likely to include mostly habitual users.
When I was a caffeine addict (habitual user) I could also sleep after ingestion.
In fact without a fix right before bedtime it was more difficult to get to sleep because nominal concentration level was unsatisfied, resulting more in agitation than identifiable craving. A nice hit would actually help me relax. I was not the only one who could relate to this as an indication of true addiction, where you need the substance just to be normal.
Complete withdrawal took a few weeks (of hellish tiredness, achiness, and irritability) but after this it was even easier to more alertly conduct high-stamina activities and out-perform my still-addicted colleagues without the toxic load on my system.
Sleep & nap much more productively without it after kicking the habit too.
Sure can write a lot better code when drug (addiction) free as well.
When I do feel it's necessary (never for marathon coding), a single cup of coffee (after I have already been awake 24hrs and need a little boost) naturally keeps my otherwise drug-free system awake for the next 24hrs easily which can be helpful for things like long-distance driving once or twice per year. As an addict I would have needed two or three times my nominal habitual doses to feel as alert on those same lonely roads.
To me coding does not benefit from this type of non-stop alertness, even if you are working to exhaustion, when tiredness truly comes a plain nap is better whether it is after 6hrs, 12hrs, 20hrs, whatever, then freshly go into another session, exahustion relieved.
Same with driving too, but if the schedule is too tight, a couple times a year will not make you a habitual user like everyday dosage does. I'd rather drive slow for long hours than exceed the speed limit, waste energy, and prematurely wear out my machinery.
YMMV [0] but just because everybody does caffeine won't make it good for you, especially in the long run.
[0] depending largely on body weight, metabolism, and dosage, and for driving, road speed