Coffee wakes you up, tastes delicious and perhaps that is why it has become an inseparable part of the morning routine for many. But doctors repeatedly warn that if you want to sleep healthily, you should keep your coffee consumption within certain limits. A new study even suggests that coffee affects sleep phases.
Sleep healthily: Coffee and its effect on the sleep phases
Doctors from the Department of Sleep Research at the University of Edinburgh have summarized the effects of daily coffee consumption on sleep phases in a comprehensive report. The observational study took many factors into account, such as the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee and what time of day it was drunk. They found that more than 5 cups of coffee per day can significantly shorten sleep time. Caffeine also has a negative effect on sleep quality because it shortens the deep sleep phase. How caffeine will affect a person depends closely on the ADORA2A gene mutation. It can influence how we react to coffee. This is why the same amount of caffeine can shorten sleep periods for one person, while having no effect on others.
Sleep healthily: Coffee can change your sleep-wake rhythm
Coffee can also change your sleep-wake cycle. Humans have an “internal clock” that distributes sleep and wake time over the day and night. This rhythm is controlled by the hormone melatonin. The bodies of people who consume 200 mg of caffeine three hours before bedtime start drinking 40 minutes later than usualrelease melatonin.
As part of the study, the researchers were also able to determine that 300 mg of caffeine daily can promote the ability to concentrate despite lack of sleep. In the first three or four days, coffee keeps us awake and helps us concentrate on our tasks. From the fifth day onwards, however, the coffee has no effect on your ability to concentrate. It can therefore be concluded that coffee can only help with a lack of sleep in the short term and is not a long-term solution.
