Caffeine and sleep may seem like polar opposites — but there may be a benefit to combining them.

The “napuccino” has become a popular method to optimize sleep and wake up with more energy by drinking a caffeinated beverage before lying down for a nap.

In a recent episode of the podcast “The Diary of a CEO” with Steven Bartlett, sleep expert Dr. Cheri Mah in Redwood City, California, introduced the napuccino as a “useful tool if you’re trying to have a temperate boost in alertness and performance.”

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A napuccino requires drinking a caffeinated beverage of choice before taking a 20- to 30-minute power nap, according to Mah.

The caffeine will begin to kick in 15 minutes after consuming it.

“If you’re able to fall asleep within five to 10 minutes while the caffeine will start to come on board, then when you wake up after 20 to 30 minutes … the caffeine will have kicked in,” she said.

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Research has shown that the energy from both the caffeine and the power nap is “more effective for alertness and performance improvement for a couple of hours,” compared to only drinking caffeine or napping alone, Mah said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mah for further comment.

“By the time you get up from the nap (20 to 30 minutes), the caffeine is kicking in.”

Clinical psychologist Kelly Baron, PhD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine lab at the University of Utah, described the napuccino as a “really great and scientifically tested technique.”

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“Having some caffeine, plus a short nap, is better than either one of those alone,” she told Fox News Digital.

“By the time you get up from the nap (20 to 30 minutes), the caffeine is kicking in.”

A sleep expert confirmed that having some caffeine, plus a short nap, is “better than either one of those alone.” (iStock)

This method has been tested with certain activities, such as driving performance and shift work, Baron noted.

“Short naps with or without caffeine are proven techniques to boost performance for those experiencing sleepiness,” she said.

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Getting the standard seven to nine hours of sleep per night is ideal, the expert said, but that can be challenging for some people.

“Drinking coffee with a lot of added sugar or high-calorie creamers can offset some of the potential health benefits,” one expert warned. (iStock)

Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein agreed that the napuccino can be a “great strategy to boost alertness,” but also noted it’s important to consider how people prepare their coffee.

“Drinking coffee with a lot of added sugar or high-calorie creamers can offset some of the potential health benefits,” she said. 

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“Consuming too much sugar can lead to energy spikes and crashes, which might counteract the energizing effect of the nap and caffeine.”

Muhlstein suggested drinking black coffee, or with a splash of regular or plant-based milk, zero-calorie sweetener like Stevia, or monk fruit.

For those who want to try the “napuccino,” drinking black coffee — or coffee with a splash of regular or plant-based milk, zero-calorie sweetener or monk fruit — is advisable, said one dietitian and nutritionist. (iStock)

“This way, you’re reaping the benefits of the napuccino without the drawbacks of excess sugar or calories,” she said.

Up to 400 milligrams of daily caffeine is deemed safe for most healthy adults, according to Mayo Clinic. 

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Heavy caffeine use can cause side effects for some. Anyone with concerns should speak with a health care provider.

Several people have contracted Valley fever following an outdoor music festival near Bakersfield, California, according to a statement from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a lung infection caused by breathing in a soil-borne fungus found in California and some parts of the southwestern U.S.

So far, five patients who attended the outdoor music festival, Lightning in a Bottle, have been diagnosed with the infection. Three of those have been hospitalized, the CDPH reported.

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More than 20,000 people attended the festival, held from May 22 to May 27 at Buena Vista Lake. 

There is the potential for ad​ditional cases to emerge among festival-goers, health officials said.

For those who attended the festival or visited Kern County and are experiencing symptoms, the CDPH recommends they see a doctor and ask about testing for the infection.

“While the event occurred two months ago and mild cases of Valley fever might have already resolved, other patients with more long-term or severe disease may still be symptomatic or undiagnosed,” the CDPH stated.

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Tom Langdon Hill, director of training for the CCHS Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, which offers free training regarding the medical needs of the homeless, said it is “desperately difficult” to predict when and where someone may be exposed to Valley Fever. 

“However, the outbreak tied to the outdoor music festival, Lightning in a Bottle, happened in an area already known as a Valley Fever hotspot, with 34 deaths tallied in 2022 alone,” Hill told Fox News Digital. 

Symptoms typically include cough, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing and chest pain. They usually begin within one to three weeks of infection. (iStock)

“While exposure to dust may be the cause of that outbreak, a just-released study points to wildfires as another possible source for the spread of Valley Fever.” 

Symptoms and transmission

The majority of people who are exposed to the fungus do not get sick, but about 40% will develop respiratory symptoms, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms typically include cough, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing and chest pain. They usually begin within one to three weeks of infection.

From 2018 to 2022, California recorded between 7,000 and 9,000 cases of Valley fever each year.

Approximately 5% to 10% of people with Valley fever will develop complications, which can include serious lung problems, the CDC stated.

For around 1% of people, disseminated disease can occur, which is when the infection spreads to other parts of the body, such as the skin, joints, bones or brain.

The infection does not spread from person to person or between people and animals, the CDC said.

While there is not yet a vaccine for Valley fever, three vaccines are currently in development. (iStock)

Valley fever has been increasing in prevalence in California, the health department noted.

Cases tripled between 2014 and 2018. From 2018 to 2022, the state recorded between 7,000 and 9,000 cases per year.

It is most common in the San Joaquin Valley and in the Central Coast areas.

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Certain areas with high dust exposure present a greater risk. Those include places where construction, archaeology, farming or military training occur, per the CDC.

Homeless populations are also at a higher risk, according to Hill.

Homeless populations are also at a higher risk for Valley fever, according to experts. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“The homeless spend much more of their time exposed to dust and the smoke from wildfires,” Hill told Fox News Digital. 

“It is no surprise that those on the streets have both higher rates of Valley fever and a startlingly higher rate of deadly complications from the disease.” 

Is a nationwide spread possible?

Dr. George Thompson, a professor at UC Davis Health and co-director of the Center for Valley fever in Sacramento, told Fox News Digital in 2023 about a ramp-up in cases over the past several years. 

“We have seen a gradual increase in cases over the last five years, and a greater number of patients are coming into our clinic for diagnosis and treatment,” he said at the time.

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In 2019, a study by Morgan Gorris — which was published in GeoHealth, a journal focused on environmental and health sciences research — suggested that climate change could trigger an expansion of Valley fever into northwestern states, including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. 

“At first, I was skeptical,” said Dr. Thompson of California. “But I’ve recently heard about new cases emerging in Nebraska and even Missouri, so I think it’s in the realm of possibility.”

Certain areas with high dust exposure present a greater risk. Those include places where construction, archaeology, farming or military training occur, per the CDC. (iStock)

Valley fever cases are expected to arrive in northern Utah and eastern Colorado by 2035, according to the study. Gorris, the study’s author, also predicts that the disease will become endemic in Nebraska, southeastern Montana, southern Idaho and South Dakota by 2065, and that it could arrive in northern Montana and North Dakota by 2095.

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Other research has linked the rising Valley fever cases to an increase in dust storms. Another recent GeoHealth study by Daniel Q. Tong, a scientist and professor at George Mason University in Virginia, found that dust storms in the Southwest have risen by 240% between the 1990s and 2000s, followed by an 800% spike in Valley fever cases between 2001 and 2011.

Treatment and prevention

A blood test sent to a lab can confirm a current or prior infection of Valley fever, and a chest X-ray or CT scan can detect cases of pneumonia, according to the CDC.

Antifungal medications such as Fluconazole and Itraconazole are typically used to treat Valley fever. (iStock)

Antifungal medications such as Fluconazole and Itraconazole are typically used to treat Valley fever.

While there is not yet a vaccine for Valley fever, three vaccines are currently in development, including one that has been successfully tested with dogs. 

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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, recently announced $4.5 million in funding to support research toward diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for the disease.

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The CDC notes that certain groups are more vulnerable.

These include people 60 years of age and older; those who have weakened immune systems as a result of certain diseases or medical conditions; pregnant women; people with diabetes; and people who are Black or Filipino.

Certain groups are more vulnerable, including people 60 years of age and older, or those who have weakened immune systems as a result of certain diseases or medical conditions. (iStock)

For those in high-risk groups, doctors recommend avoiding construction sites or areas where soil is often stirred up into the air. 

People can also wear an N95 respirator, a type of high-quality mask, to minimize exposure in dusty areas.

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Early diagnosis and treatment is important, doctors advise.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDPH and the organizers of the music festival for comment.

Sick days have taken on a whole new meaning.

As Generation Z employees enter the workforce, paid sick days — allotted by a majority of companies — are being used more than ever.

Approximately 30% of employees took sick leave in the first 10 months of 2023 – up 42% from 2019, according to the HR platform Gusto, which is used by more than 300,000 U.S. businesses.

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The average amount of time taken off for sick leave has also increased by 15% since 2019, reaching an average of 15.5 hours per year.

Another HR platform, Dayforce, reported a 55% increase in sick leave during the same time frame, based on its users’ activity.

Among white-collar workers, Dayforce saw a 42% spike in sick leave since 2019.

Workers ages 25 to 34 years old were the most likely to take advantage of these benefits, according to Gusto’s data.

“This younger generation is now the most likely to take time away from work to rest and recover from an illness – a sign of a generational shift in the attitude that employees have about taking time off to protect their health,” Gusto reported last year.

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Jake Canull, regional director of the Top Employers Institute in New York, reacted to this data in a response sent to Fox News Digital.

Top Employers, in new research, found that regardless of age, “sick days are encouraged by employers to prevent and recover from illness,” Canull said.

Gen Z is “now the most likely to take time away from work to rest and recover from an illness,” according to Gusto, an HR platform.  (iStock)

Many companies with high levels of employee engagement have created initiatives to raise awareness of mental and emotional health, the expert noted.

These same companies are 14% more likely to discourage people from working overtime and 9% more likely to encourage them to take stress-relieving breaks during the workday, Canull added.

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Gen Z employees are less likely to work in independent and self-directed workspaces — as they value human contact and collaboration, he said.

“They tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over growth and development opportunities.”

America’s youngest workers also prioritize their own well-being, he mentioned, and are “very community-focused.”

“They tend to [avoid] infecting their colleagues by staying home,” Canull told Fox News Digital.

“Generally, they tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over growth and development opportunities.”

Seventy-eight percent of Gen Z workers believe the workplace should build community, social connections and belonging, a survey found. (iStock)

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and NYU Langone clinical professor of medicine, told Fox News Digital that it “would be nice” to think that an additional use of sick days is due to people being more conscious of spreading infection since the pandemic.

“But I don’t believe that’s the case,” he said. “If anything, post-COVID fatigue has led to fewer precautions, including to COVID, which is now spreading widely again.”

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The doctor presumed that rising sick days are more associated with burnout at work, scarcity of rewards and lack of commitment to careers — especially among younger people.

“People are more likely to game the system or require mental health days because of growing anxiety and depression in our society,” Siegel theorized.

“Some people just feel like providing more balance in their lives between work and play.”

Rising sick days could be due to burnout at work, lack of rewards and lack of commitment to careers, one doctor suggested. (iStock)

Dr. Kyle Elliott, a career coach based in California, agreed that Gen Z employees prioritize work-life balance.

“It’s easier to take a sick day when you find meaning and purpose beyond your work and career,” Elliott told Fox News Digital.

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Gen Z workers have also recognized that sick days aren’t solely reserved for physical illness, according to the expert.

“They can also be used when you’re coping with stress or burnout — and you don’t have to provide your employer with a detailed reason for why you’re using your sick time,” Elliott said. 

Sixty-two percent of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in return for a better work-life balance.

“Gen Z workers are demonstrating that it doesn’t hurt to take a day or two off when you’re feeling mentally worn down or exhausted — and it can pay off in the long run if you recover quicker.”

Elliott suggested that America’s youngest employees are learning there is “more to life than work” and “little benefit in working when you’re sick.”

Members of Gen Z are learning that there is “more to life than work,” one workplace wellness expert said.  (iStock)

New and exclusive data from the Top Employers Gen Z survey revealed that 81% of young workers believe their employers have a responsibility to support the physical well-being of their employees.

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Meanwhile, 83% agree that employers are responsible for supporting their employees’ psychological well-being.

Also, 62% of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in return for a better work-life balance, according to the survey. 

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Gen Z workers encouraged fostering supportive work environments, as 78% said the workplace should build community, social connections and belonging — and 75% stated that having fun at work is important.

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Those who caught up on the most sleep over the weekends were found to have a 20% lower risk of developing heart disease. (iStock)

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