3 Tips For Healthier Caffeine Consumption

I love my cup of coffee in the afternoon and usually will not consume it after 2:30pm. Any time later and it will impact my sleep. Besides coffee, caffeine can also be found naturally in tea and chocolate. It is often added in synthetic form to medication, sodas, energy drinks, and energy bars.

How does caffeine impact sleep? When you consume caffeine, it will be absorbed by your body within 30 - 60min and through the blood will make its way to the brain.

Inside the brain, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors which trick your brain into thinking that it’s not tired. Adenosine is a sleep-promoting chemical that is produced by the brain during the day and the longer we stay up, the sleepier we get. The blocking of this neurotransmitter by caffeine keeps us alert and vigilant. In addition, caffeine also interferes with melatonin production, the hormone that helps your body to know when it's time to sleep and wake up. In short, both of these effects of caffeine on the brain will mess up your Circadian Rhythm (your 24hrs sleep-wake cycle).

The results can be a daytime crash when the caffeine leaves your system, not getting enough sleep at night, and lower sleep quality.

Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 7 hours, which means it takes that many hours to break down half of the caffeine in your system. For example, if you have a cup of coffee at 3 p.m., by 8 p.m. you have only metabolized half of that caffeine—the other half is still in your system. Every person metabolizes caffeine differently so it can be less or more time. It also varies how much it impacts a person’s quality of sleep. Caffeine can reduce the time that you spend in the stage of deep sleep. Deep Sleep is important for restorative functions, enabling muscle growth and repair. This restful sleep leaves us feeling refreshed and alert in the morning. Lack of deep sleep is associated with fatigue the following day, problems with learning, memory, problem-solving, and regulation of emotions.

Some people may feel tired after consuming caffeine. Caffeine may have already disrupted your sleep and you feel more sleep deprived throughout the day. After drinking more caffeine to get through the day, your next night will be even more interrupted and you will be more tired the following day. At some point sleep deprivation wins over caffeine intake. That is a sign to make a drastic change for your future health.

This information is not to discourage you from drinking coffee but rather to be mindful of how much and when you drink coffee if you love it as much as I do.

Tip #1 Water First

Have a glass of water first thing in the morning before your coffee. Your body is dehydrated after fasting all night and caffeine is a diuretic. This means it stimulates the kidneys and flushes away sodium with that water. Coffee is also acidic and can irritate the stomach lining, especially when drinking on an empty stomach.  Drinking water before will lessen the effect on the kidneys and the stomach.

Tip #2 Caffeine Cut-Off Time

It is recommended to cut off caffeine a minimum of six hours before bedtime.

Tip #3 Recognize Signs of Over Consumption

• insomnia
• jitters
• anxiousness
• fast heart rate
• upset stomach
• nausea
• headache
• a feeling of unhappiness