Many of us enjoy a caffeine hit when we’re low on energy, but is it doing more harm than good?
Research has shown that most adults consume caffeine every day, and many of us rely on the energy boosting properties of caffeine to boost our mood and improve our performance. Coffee beans and tea leaves are naturally rich in caffeine, meaning a cup of tea or coffee is an easy way to get your caffeine fix.
But while caffeine can help to promote wakefulness and ward off daytime sleepiness, it can come at a cost. There are potential side effects associated with caffeine indulgence, such as headaches, jitteriness and heightened anxiety. It can also impact the quality and quantity of your sleep.
We’re going to take a closer look at the relationship between coffee and sleep, asking if a cup of coffee when you’re tired really is a good idea.
How does coffee impact sleep?
Caffeine impacts the brain by blocking adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a sleep-promoting chemical produced by the brain when we’re awake, building up over the course of the day and prompting us to go to sleep. The more adenosine builds up, the sleepier you become. By blocking this process, caffeine helps you remain alert and free from sluggishness. But this can also make sleep harder to find when bedtime rolls around.
Caffeine consumption can make you fall asleep later, sleep fewer hours overall, and decrease the quality of your sleep. It can reduce the amount of deep sleep you achieve, which can result in you feeling less refreshed when you wake up.
Should you drink coffee when you’re tired?
A cup of coffee or two isn’t going to do too much damage, especially when consumed earlier in the day. So, a coffee when you’re tired can be an effective way to boost cognitive functions like memory and attention. However, the caffeine–sleep relationship can create a vicious cycle: the more coffee you drink, the worse you sleep, the more tired you become, the more you rely on coffee for energy. And so it goes on.
Weighing up the positive and negative impacts of caffeine depends largely on how much coffee is being consumed. If you find yourself unable to function without consuming coffee, it’s probably a sign that it’s doing more harm than good.
How much coffee is too much coffee?
The Food Standards Authority recognises that it is generally safe for adults to consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. Since the average cup of coffee contains 100-200 milligrams of caffeine, this means you should be aiming to drink no more than two cups of coffee a day.
However, the time of day you consume coffee matters, too. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends stopping drinking coffee eight hours before you plan on going to bed. So if you’re planning on turning in at 10pm, you should be drinking your last coffee of the day no later than 2pm.
How else can you stay alert during the day?
If you want to reduce your dependence on coffee, there are certain things you can do to get a boost of energy in the day without relying on caffeine. Getting exposure to light in the morning, getting outside and exercising can all help you feel more awake and alert first thing. A glass of cold water can boost your energy levels in the short term just like coffee, but won’t increase your caffeine intake.
And, of course, you should practise healthy sleep habits in order to ensure you’re getting enough rest every night.
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