I used to be that person that had 4 coffees before midday, I woke up so sluggish that I didn't feel I was able to interact with anyone until I had my first cup. This quite quickly became my routine, a terrible night sleep followed by enough caffeine to power a small village, that would keep me going until I crashed around 3pm and then I would go on to argue with myself about whether or not, another strong black americano would keep me mildly alert until it was time to end the day and try to sleep again.
I noticed a pattern... I'd perk up after caffeine but quickly crash again, leading to an inability to sleep at night. I decided to look into how caffeine affects your sleep and the science behind better rest. Here’s what I learned:
- The half-life of caffeine can range from 3 to 5 hours, but for some people, it can be up to 8 hours! That means if you have a cup of coffee at 4 PM, half of that caffeine could still be in your system at midnight. No wonder I was tossing and turning.
- Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a chemical that builds up in our brains throughout the day and makes us feel sleepy. By blocking these receptors, caffeine keeps us feeling awake and alert. But the downside? It delays the feeling of sleepiness, making it harder to fall asleep when you finally hit the pillow.
- As caffeine wears off, the accumulated adenosine floods these receptors, causing a significant drop in energy and making you feel even more tired.
I experimented over the period of a few weeks and I found that waiting an hour after I woke up to have my first coffee started to avoid the morning grogginess, I would have my second and last coffee around midday. This change significantly improved my sleep and overall energy levels.
By understanding how caffeine affects your sleep, you can make informed choices about your consumption and potentially improve your rest.
- Grace
