Sleep researchers have long studied the effects of caffeine on sleep cycles. Early
studies on caffeine and sleep suggest that caffeine causes people to stay awake more than it interrupts sleep. This means caffeine is more likely to keep someone awake than impact the time a person spends in any sleep stage. Drinking caffeine prior to sleep may result in increased periods of wakefulness during the night, but may not result in noticeable changes to the sleep stages. Some refer to this as "caffeine insomnia," which is increased wakefulness during times when a person would ordinarily be sleeping.
Caffeine as a Cause of Insomnia: Should doctors take a closer look at patients that drink caffeinated drinks when diagnosing insomnia? The consumption of caffeine has always been of concern to doctors that diagnose insomnia and related sleep disorders.
Psychiatrists' Take on Caffeine And Sleep: While a family doctor may ask about caffeine consumption, a psychiatrist may not, at least according to a recent study published in
Advances in Psychiatric Treatment.
According to this research, failure to identify caffeine as the culprit in many psychiatric problems may result in false diagnosis of anxiety, depression and related disorders. Researchers believe patients that drink too much caffeine may exhibit symptoms that are similar to psychiatric disorders, and therefore how much caffeine a person drinks should be a routine question psychiatrists and doctors should ask.
Common Foods And Beverages That Contain Caffeine: Most people automatically assume a doctor wants to know about coffee consumption when asked about their caffeine intake. But there are many other food and beverage items that contain enough caffeine to keep you awake at night. Here is a brief list, including items cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and National Soft Drink Association.
- Caffeinated sodas like Coke or Pepsi
- Chocolate (especially dark chocolate)
- Tea
- Coffee flavored ice cream
- Mountain Dew
- Some brands of chocolate milk
- Some over-the-counter (OTC) cold medications
How Much Is Too Much: A single chocolate candy bar can contain as much as 20 to 45 milligrams of caffeine, which is the limit for children that consume caffeine. Most doctors recommend that adults drink no more than 2 cups of coffee each day.
Discover Your Caffeine Tolerance Level And Sleep Better: Every person has their own caffeine tolerance however, so while one cup of coffee may make a person anxious or cause insomnia, another person may have 5 cups of coffee before they experience any side effects. Just like alcohol, some people develop a tolerance to the effects of caffeine. Many do not however, and the combined consumption of caffeine-laden foods with caffeinated beverages may be the very problem causing your insomnia. Problems associated with too much caffeine include:
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Sleeplessness
- Anxiety
- Rapid heart beat, also called tachychardia
What You Can Do About It: If you visit your doctor for a routine health exam, or because you have concerns about insomnia, make sure you consider your caffeine intake. Talk with your doctor to establish dietary guidelines that take into account your overall health and wellness.
Sources"Caffeine abuse among young people discovered in examination of poison center calls". Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. Jan 2007. FindArticles.com. 10 Dec. 2007. link
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2007) Drug Interactions: What You Should Know, March, 2006. Available: http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/druginteractions.htm
