Caffeine and alcohol are two widely used elements for stimulating our brains. Caffeine makes us alert and energized and helps stay productive throughout the day. Alcohol has an opposite effect, it releases feel-good chemicals in our brain and makes us feel happy and relaxed. But both stimulants have a significant impact on the quality of our sleep. Consuming too much caffeine makes it harder to fall asleep. While drinking alcohol before bed helps you drift off to sleep faster but affects the deep stages of your sleep later in the night.
Many of us consume caffeinated drinks and foods on a daily basis. It boosts alertness that effectively fights sleepiness. Caffeine has positive effects on reaction, mood and mental performance. Having a cup of coffee in the morning might be a good energy booster for the whole day.
We often neglect the recommended caffeine dosage. The excessive caffeine consumption might have different side effects: anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, muscle cramps, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, fatigue. But our sleep suffers the most. If you consume too much caffeine you may have troubles falling asleep and staying in the deep stage of sleep.
Try to stick with no more than 400 mg (3-4 cups of coffee) of caffeine per day which is a recommended dosage for an adult. Also try to avoid caffeine at least 4 hours before going to bed.
Be careful as you might not drink coffee but still get caffeine from other drinks and products. Tea, energy drinks, soda, chocolate, power bars and even decaffeinated drinks - watch out for these products, especially in the afternoon.
Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol makes us feel more relaxed. Many believe that alcohol is the most common sleep aid and often have a glass of rosé before bed to drift off faster.
But there’s a tricky part. It really lulls us to sleep faster and provides a deeper sleep during the first part of the night. But what happens next? Alcohol affects the chemicals in your body that trigger sleepiness. During the second part of the night your sleep moves from deeper to lighter stage and your rest becomes more interruptive. As a result, you wake up in the morning feeling not rested at all.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t have a drink or two with your friends on a Friday night. Just if you decide to drink at nighttime, give your body some time to process the alcohol before your head hits the pillow.