Which measure you take determines which countermeasure appears to work.
Countermeasures act on different outcomes rather than substituting for one another. Caffeine improved simple reaction time while a nap improved two-choice reaction time; after a normal night only the nap improved mood. Separately, 30 minutes of moderate cycling reversed sleep-deprivation impairments on a Go/NoGo task, raising accuracy by up to 9.51%.
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[1] Supports · 2021
Do naps and caffeine help sleep-deprived athletes perform better?This study does not show real-world performance effects because cognitive speed and accuracy were only tested on a computer rather than during actual sports competition. Additionally, the researchers did not use brain-monitoring equipment to track actual sleep during the nap, relying instead on subjective ratings. Finally, the findings cannot be generalized to female athletes, regular coffee drinkers, or athletes who habitually take daytime naps.
Original paper[2] Supports · 2022
Can exercise help your brain recover from sleep loss?This study cannot establish a direct causal pathway in the brain because it measured serotonin in peripheral blood rather than cerebrospinal fluid. Additionally, the sample was limited to 30 young, healthy college students, meaning the results may not generalize to older adults or individuals with pre-existing metabolic or sleep disorders. Finally, the study only tracked cognitive performance for one hour post-exercise, leaving it unclear how long the protective benefits actually persist.
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