It is believed that a coffee drink drunk shortly before going to bed will cause a surge of strength and vigor, and will also be an excellent remedy against drowsiness. However, there are many people for whom coffee either does not have an invigorating effect, or, on the contrary, acts as a mild sleeping pill. That is why you should be attentive to your own individual characteristics, and also take into account existing diseases in order to make the right decision regarding drinking coffee in the evening.
So, why does coffee sometimes make you sleepy, and how to properly drink this drink before bed so as not to harm your health?
The effect of coffee on human sleep
It is known that coffee is one of the main sources of caffeine among plant products. This substance is an active stimulant of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, which has an invigorating effect.
In each organism, the influence of coffee products can have its own shades:
- vigor, activation;
- elimination of drowsiness, muscle weakness;
- concentration, composure.
Under certain conditions of the body, the drink can also have the opposite effect: cause drowsiness, fatigue, lethargy, and apathy.
Everyone knows that coffee should have an invigorating and tonic effect, but this statement is not entirely accurate. Probably, information about golden grains became the object of advertising when the drink was popularized among the masses and only its beneficial aspects were presented.
In fact, the work of coffee is more complicated, and its secret lies in the composition of the drink. The coffee bean consists of 2 “layers” – the core and the shell. The outer part accumulates caffeine compounds, and the inner part accumulates theobromine. These substances affect the body in different ways.
Whole bean and ground coffee contain both components, and instant coffee is prepared only from kernels.
The caffeine shell is used for the production of pharmacological drugs, food additives and energy drinks.
It turns out that the caffeine content in the instant powder is negligible, which is why many people notice that natural grain coffee has an invigorating effect, while freeze-dried coffee has no effect or even puts you to sleep.
Effects of caffeine
Experts say that the caffeine component has an invigorating effect, which begins immediately after drinking the drink and lasts only 20-35 minutes - depending on the type of beans and the characteristics of the body.
Caffeine activates the nervous system, makes the brain work faster, stimulates heart contractions, accelerates blood flow, helps eliminate toxins, and speeds up digestive processes and metabolism.
All this creates a feeling of a surge of energy, but this effect does not last long, and - as often happens - it is replaced by a phase of rest, and sometimes fatigue. This is partly due to the fact that coffee does not bring energy with it, but only awakens the body's internal resources.
Effect of theobromine
The substance theobromine has a relaxing and calming effect; unlike caffeine, it dilates blood vessels and helps normalize heart rate and blood pressure.
The tricky thing about the coffee effect is that, in contrast to caffeine, the action of its “companion” often causes drowsiness and loss of strength in people.
To neutralize the soporific effect, it is recommended to sip a portion of coffee for 1-1.5 hours, then new caffeine molecules will balance the effect of theobromine.
The effect of coffee in some sources is called the “thirtieth kilometer”. This is due to the fact that drivers who drink a dose of coffee on the road manage to drive about 30 km invigorated while the caffeine takes effect, and then suddenly feel lethargic.
This increases the risk of accidents, which is why experts do not recommend drinking coffee before setting off, especially after insufficient sleep, and you should only get behind the wheel if you are truly alert and sober.
How to avoid falling asleep while driving - 5 tips for drivers
Maybe car owners have already been able to learn something useful from the first block of our advice. But let's not dwell on this. Before you go on a long journey in your car, check out the proven ways to combat sleep while driving.
1. Rest before a long trip of more than 8-10 hours. A sound sleep in complete peace and quiet will provide you with vigor and strength, which will not be changed by any source of caffeine.
2. Turn on the air conditioner often to invigorate yourself. The main thing is, do not forget to close the windows during all this, so as not to catch a cold.
3. The presence of a good interlocutor in the car is one of the best ways not to fall asleep. Pleasant communication conceals the duration and monotony of the ride, which often makes you feel sleepy.
4. After every hour or two of driving, stop the car and do eye exercises to relieve tension. At first, blink intensely, and then begin to move your gaze from a close object to a distant object and back.
5. Chew sunflower or pumpkin seeds. This activity, as is clear, is addictive, and you are unlikely to be able to sleep properly. The only disadvantage of this method is the need to clean the interior upon arrival.
How to drink coffee to stay awake
Some consumers may believe that the more caffeine that enters the body, the more alert the person feels. It is not true. Even 1-2 cups of coffee drink can affect more than half of the specific receptors of the nervous system.
The effect lasts 5-6 hours. Additional servings will not enhance the effects of caffeine, and may even lead to an overdose and unpleasant consequences.
To cheer up and concentrate on work, it is enough to drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day if we are talking about a natural drink, and 3-4 - when it is an instant one. This should be done gradually: if you drink coffee in one gulp, especially when the drink is sweet, its effect may be abrupt.
Milk can slow down, or rather prolong the effect. Experts say that coffee components combine with dairy components in such a way that the digestion of caffeine slows down and it enters the brain gradually.
When it is difficult for the body to wake up without a portion of a stimulant, and coffee does not help or begins to cause unpleasant sensations - heartburn, liver discomfort, drowsiness - you can always replace it with a cup of tea, black or green. It will help normalize the pH and will keep the body alert much more gently.
Switch your attention
A sleepless night is a good time to practice multitasking. Switch between different tasks to avoid switching to automatic mode.
What methods do you use? Share in the comments.
How to stay awake if you want to sleep: 18 methods to combat drowsiness.
At some point, virtually every person is faced with the question of how to stay awake if you want to sleep. There can be a huge number of circumstances for this - deadlines at work, a study session, long night trips. It is especially difficult to remain alert while someone is dozing nearby.
Some people drink liters of coffee, others listen to music - everyone has different methods of staying alert. With all this, the brain can play a cruel joke: after finishing work, when, in the end, you can go to bed, you cannot fall asleep! Let's find out how to properly overcome drowsiness.
Signs that drinking is interfering with sleep
Coffee invigorates the body in several ways:
- triggers brain function;
- activates blood flow, increases blood pressure;
- stimulates appetite;
- increases heart rate;
- supports kidney function, produces a mild diuretic effect.
When so many processes in the body are accelerated at the same time, he cannot fall asleep anytime soon.
Sometimes caffeine excites the nervous system so much that a person is not able to fall asleep even at night (or in accordance with his schedule), although he feels tired physically and mentally. This is why experts do not recommend drinking coffee at night, or rather, 3-4 hours before going to bed.
At the same time, coffee normally does not have such a “killer” and “explosive” effect on the human body and sleep as advertising promises. In general, the drink is harmless, and its effect should not be pronounced.
Caffeine only invigorates, but does not give strength to the body, so you should not get too carried away with the aromatic elixir.
The properties of coffee beans have not been fully studied, but it is known that it can affect each person with some differences.
Load up on fast carbohydrates
On a sleepless night, you will need exactly that property of fast-acting carbohydrates, for which adherents of a healthy diet criticize them: they quickly break down into ordinary sugars and give a strong, albeit short-term burst of energy. So, ignore the advice of grandmothers “don’t eat sweets at night, otherwise you won’t fall asleep” and stock up on sweets.
Watch your level of lethargy, because energy will leave your body just as quickly: when you feel tired, it’s time to take another bite of the chocolate.
Why does coffee make you sleepy?
There are several reasons why coffee invigorates or, conversely, puts you to sleep. Direct action has already been described. As for the opposite, this condition can be caused by fatigue of the body, which can no longer respond to caffeine, or by the quality of the product.
Diseases
Normally, coffee stimulates the activity of internal systems, but some conditions can provoke the opposite reaction. Caffeine and theobromine enter the bloodstream during digestion, and only then to the nervous system.
Impaired breakdown and absorption of these substances can cause an overdose or rejection, so the drink should be consumed with extreme caution in the following conditions:
- for diseases of the digestive system - liver, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract;
- for nervous diseases, under stress, sleep disorders, as well as hormonal imbalances;
- in case of coronary heart disease, arrhythmia and angina pectoris, with high blood pressure;
- with renal failure.
For example, liver disease prevents the blood from filtering normally and breaking down active compounds. This means that people with fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure need to be content with much smaller doses of caffeine so as not to overload the body, otherwise large doses of the energizing substance will be delivered to the nervous system. Excess theobromine can cause drowsiness.
Another reason is the exhaustion of the adrenal glands, which normally produce adrenaline. If the glands have nothing to release into the blood in response to stimulation by caffeine, the body will only more clearly sense the lack of strength and protest.
In these cases, the stimulant acts on a tired body that does not have the resources for activation. A natural reaction in such a state is the desire to restore strength, that is, to sleep or eat something. Sometimes coffee not only makes you sleepy, but also wakes up a strong appetite.
After illnesses, lack of sleep and stress, it is better to replace coffee with herbal or fruit tea. You should not choose soothing drugs, like chamomile or mint, but neutral and tonic ones, for example, thyme, lemon or currants. A vitamin cocktail will truly give you strength and help you recover.
Stimulant overdose
One of the reasons why caffeine stops activating the body may be an overdose of the substance. On the one hand, there is a threshold for the action of the stimulant: as already mentioned, it is enough to drink 1-2 cups for the drink to act for 4-6 hours. Exceeding this dose will overload the nervous system and liver.
The human body is programmed to maintain balance. When a stimulant is taken in excessive quantities, the body becomes accustomed to its effects and creates compensatory mechanisms. Because of this, you have to increase the portion in order to tone the nervous system, and over time, coffee no longer invigorates.
In such cases, it is necessary to give up the drink for a while. In 2-4 weeks, all receptors will be restored and the “power” of your favorite coffee will again become high.
On the other hand, there is general overwork of the body, when the nervous system does not have enough strength to react to a dose of caffeine with activity. Then the opposite effect occurs - lethargy and lethargy. And an overdose in the form of an extra cup can completely “turn off” the system, just as traffic jams are knocked out when there is an overvoltage in the electrical network.
Then there is no point in drinking one serving after another. It's better to keep sweet coffee and some nuts near your work area and sip a little at a time while supporting your brain with nutritious snacks.
Coffee quality
Finally, the effect of the drink largely depends on its class. Elite grain blends, as a rule, give a pleasant sensation and do not cause discomfort. A low-grade product most often provokes heartburn and has an unpredictable effect on the nerves.
Instant coffee often makes you sleepy because it lacks the caffeine component , but more often than not, such a drink is simply ineffective. Coffee is one of those products that you shouldn’t skimp on to maintain your health, and it’s better to avoid cheap raw materials in favor of herbal tea.
Massage or reflexology
Reflexology is the treatment of certain points on the arms and legs that are associated with internal organs and parts of the body. For example, the top of the thumb is connected to the pituitary gland. A general massage will refresh you and give you energy, but reflexology will do even more - it will make the right organs work more actively. During a break, massage your hands and feet yourself (if possible). This way you stimulate the functioning of all organs and give yourself energy for the rest of the day. We even recently wrote an article in which we talked about what specific points are on the feet.
What to do if coffee makes you sleepy
If coffee drinks cause lethargy, you need to reconsider your diet and lifestyle, and perhaps even consult a doctor. With good general health, drowsiness from drinking coffee can occur only if the body is tired: the person has not had enough sleep or is in a state of chronic stress or illness.
When large doses of the drink cause weakness and lethargy, it is necessary to temporarily abandon it. Warming up, walking in the fresh air or ventilating the room will help awaken the body. If such measures do not help, then the nervous system really needs rest and it’s better to get some sleep.
When you feel sleepy with coffee, you can try one of the options to cheer yourself up:
- switch to tea drinks;
- give up coffee and tea to allow the body to take a break from caffeine and recover;
- move more and breathe fresh air;
- drink clean water to reduce the concentration of active substances in the body.
Caffeine and theobromine also sometimes interact with certain medications, causing drowsiness or insomnia. In such cases, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist. Perhaps they cannot be combined.
How to fall asleep after a nightcap
If coffee causes a rapid heartbeat, trembling hands, increased blood pressure, anxiety, or interferes with sleep, just drink a glass of clean water - this will help cleanse the blood.
Fresh air and a herbal pillow or aromatherapy with soothing oil can also help you fall asleep. Just apply a couple of drops to your wrists and massage your temples.
Coffee and sleep quality are not as closely related as you might think. When the body needs rest, you should not torture it with “magic remedies”. A fragrant drink, first of all, should bring sensual pleasure, and not become a subject of painful addiction. Live in harmony and enjoy delicious coffee recipes.
Awakening
As you already understand, absolutely every detail of this process is very important.
Therefore, you need to pay special attention to your awakening. Be sure to set an alarm, but allow no more than twenty minutes for sleep
And the reason here lies not at all in the fact that you can sleep through the trip to work or the entire working day if you want to practice this method in the office (although that too). The fact is that twenty minutes is the approximate duration of “shallow sleep.” If you sleep for more than twenty minutes, you risk falling into a state of “deep sleep”, from which it is then much more difficult to get out - you will have to wake up completely again, you may not feel cheerful, but, on the contrary, broken
Accordingly, it is very important to correctly comply with all time frames. A minute to drink coffee, twenty minutes to find a place and absorb caffeine - and the same amount of time to sleep directly
After this, you will feel much more energetic than usual. And note that all this without increasing the dose of caffeine, without an extra five mugs of coffee a day. Absolutely great and incredibly effective.
Don't overeat
After a hearty, large meal, it is doubly difficult not to fall asleep at night. Filling your stomach tightly before bed is already harmful, and even more so if you plan to have a sleepless night at work. Therefore, dinner should be dietary, and most importantly, no chips, fried or fatty foods, flour or sweets.
To keep your body active throughout the night, take a break every 2-3 hours for a small, light snack.
If you eat at night, it is better to give preference to fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as foods rich in protein - eggs and nuts. As a last resort, you can eat a piece of dark chocolate, natural, high cocoa content, without additives or preservatives. It will help you stay alert longer and saturate the body with substances beneficial to the nervous system: glucose, magnesium, fatty acids, flavonoids and B vitamins.
Coffee helps your liver, especially if you're a heavy drinker
In 2006, a study was published that included 125,000 people over 22 years of age. The results showed that people who drink at least one cup of coffee a day have a 20% reduced risk of liver cirrhosis.
Arthur Klatsky, lead author of the study, explained that coffee consumption confers protective effects against liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption.
In addition, a study from the NUS Graduate Medical School found that coffee helps prevent the development of fatty liver disease. So, by drinking more than four cups of tea or coffee a day, you insure yourself against fatty liver disease.
Turn on the music
Drive away fatigue and drowsiness with the help of fiery dance rhythms or hard rock.
How to stay awake all night and be alert? Of course, drive away fatigue and drowsiness with the help of fiery dance rhythms or hard rock. At the same time, it is better to listen to music with headphones - this will create additional discomfort that maintains brain activity and will help to avoid problems with neighbors. But calm and soothing melodies can have the opposite effect, forcing you to fall into a sweet sleep, so it’s definitely better to avoid them.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and caffeine
While carrying a baby, there are not so many restrictions on food and drinks - the basic rule is common sense and moderation. The same applies to drinks with caffeine - if you really want to cheer up, doctors do not prohibit drinking a cup of coffee. However, it is recommended to drink it not every day and in small quantities. Remember - coffee removes calcium from the body, so take care to replenish it.
When breastfeeding your baby, you should not experiment with coffee in the first 2-3 weeks after the baby is born, but even later, give up coffee in a plastic cup. Modern pediatricians believe that a mother can easily drink a cup of coffee, but at the same time it is worth watching the baby: if his behavior and condition have not changed, then you can definitely afford a flavorful drink.
True, coffee also has contraindications. A caffeinated drink can be harmful for high blood pressure, arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, polycystic disease and glaucoma.
