Coffee and sleep have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, coffee can be a cause and a transient cure for indigent sleep. But on the other hand, coffee naps are something. However, the general consensus is that coffee in bed is not a good idea if your goal is to get a good night’s sleep. Now, modern research is exploring this topic and finding that coffee may not only affect the amount of sleep, but also “changes the neurophysiological architecture of sleep.”
As reported News-Medical.net– a modern meta-study published in the journal by scientists from the University of Wrocław more fully examines the effect of caffeine on sleep. Although most historical studies have relied on measuring total sleep time, recently researchers have begun to employ electroencephalography (EEG) to take a closer look.
By compiling information from 32 previous studies that used EEG to study caffeine and sleep, they found that while caffeine before bed often leads to difficulty falling and staying asleep and reduces overall sleep time, its negative effects go beyond that. They found that caffeine can reduce “slow-wave activity” during sleep. Leisurely waves are a major part of deep sleep, the part of the cycle where the body regenerates and energy sources are restored. It causes “shallow” sleep, keeping the brain in a more alert state.
Interestingly, the meta-analysis found that the overall effect of caffeine on sleep quality varied from person to person and was influenced by factors such as “dose, time, composition, habitual caffeine employ, withdrawal status, circadian context, age, and inter-individual biological susceptibility.” Simply put, caffeine affects everyone differently.
So even if you sleep a full eight hours but still wake up tired, it may be because caffeine is affecting your sleep quality. Maybe give it a go caffeine modulation try it, maybe a lovely cup of decaf?
