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Coffee and tea are incredibly healthy beverages.
Most types contain caffeine, a substance that may boost your mood, metabolism and
mental and physical performance. Studies have also shown that it’s safe for
most people when consumed in low-to-moderate amounts.
However, high doses of caffeine may have unpleasant and even
dangerous side effects.
Research has shown that your genes have a major influence on
your tolerance to it. Some can consume much more caffeine than others without
experiencing negative effects (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
What’s more, individuals who aren’t used to caffeine may
experience symptoms after consuming what is typically considered a moderate
dose (4Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Caffeine’s ability to help people stay awake is one of its most
prized qualities.
On the other hand, too much caffeine can make it difficult to
get enough restorative sleep.
Studies have found that higher caffeine intake appears to
increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. It may also decrease total
sleeping time, especially in the elderly (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
By contrast, low or moderate amounts of caffeine don’t seem to
affect sleep very much in people considered “good sleepers,” or even those with
self-reported insomnia (15Trusted Source).
You may not realize that too much caffeine is interfering with
your sleep if you underestimate the amount of caffeine you’re taking in.
Although coffee and tea are the most concentrated sources of
caffeine, it is also found in soda, cocoa, energy drinks and several types of
medication.
For example, an energy shot may contain up to 350 mg of
caffeine, while some energy drinks provide as much as a whopping 500 mg per can
(16Trusted Source).
Importantly, the amount of caffeine you can consume without
affecting your sleep will depend on your genetics and other factors.
In addition, caffeine consumed later in the day may interfere
with sleep because its effects can take several hours to wear off.
Research has shown that while caffeine remains in your system
for an average of five hours, the time period may range from one and a half
hours to nine hours, depending on the individual (17Trusted Source).
One study investigated how the timing of caffeine ingestion
affects sleep. Researchers gave 12 healthy adults 400 mg of caffeine either six
hours before bedtime, three hours before bedtime or immediately prior to
bedtime.
Both the time it took all three groups to fall asleep and the
time they spent awake at night increased significantly (18Trusted Source).
These results suggest that it’s important to pay attention to
both the amount and timing of caffeine to optimize your sleep.
Summary: Caffeine can
help you stay awake during the day, but it may negatively impact your sleep
quality and quantity. Cut off your caffeine consumption by the early afternoon
to avoid sleeping problems.
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