The Science Behind Caffeine

I'm going to present you with a theoretical situation. Imagine you are the senior advisor to the current president of the United States. You are entering the final few months of the 4-year term and as a team, have upheld a reputation of excellence. Individually you are known for being trustworthy and very intelligent, and by listening to your advice the president has guided America through some very troublesome times. With respect to this newly brought about peace and prosperity in America, it is no surprise that the majority of the public voiced support for reelection. It is a celebration in the White House and America alike for a great 4 years served. It seemed as if things were only going to get better. That was until D-Day reigned over the White House on October 12, 2023. You entered the White House just as you would any other day, but you were in awe to find that there was not another soul there. Brushing it off you went straight to the oval office to assume position as usual. You entered and as you closed the door behind you, a loud alarm went off signaling the emergency shutdown system. All the windows were barred shut by large metal slabs and the door from which you entered became locked. You scan the room and to your surprise, there are two largely lit buttons on the middle of the desk. You approach the buttons, besides which there is a piece of paper signed by the president that reads, "I am sorry I had no time to explain. Please make the best decision as the balance of America now lies in your hands." You shift your gaze toward the buttons, the one illuminated in red says, "Kanye West will be elected as the next president" and the one illuminated in blue says, "Completely abolish the consumption of Caffeine, all forms will immediately be destroyed." After reading the options, you break down in tears and that's where this story ends... with the fate of America in your hands.

(Sorry for the super long introduction, just had a rush of inspiration and I could not get myself to shorten it )

Funny enough I think one of the surest ways to cause mass panic, would be to abruptly ban all consumption of caffeine. When Hill Holiday came up with the famous slogan, "America runs on Dunkin" he was pretty spot on. It is reported that about 74 % of Americans drink coffee every single day (NewsDirect). This makes it the most widely taken psychoactive stimulant in the world and despite being classified as a drug, it maintains a very good reputation. I'm not going to argue against the use of caffeine, but I will add that it can result in restlessness, insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. In this blog, I am going to explain some of the science behind caffeine and how to get the most out of your cup of coffee without affecting your sleep.

To understand how caffeine works it is crucial to learn about sleep pressure. To sustain consistent sleep and ensure that you are able to get to sleep at the correct time, the body has sleep rhythm and sleep pressure. Sleep rhythm is based on circadian rhythms that cycle in accordance with light exposure, whereas sleep pressure is due to the amount of adenosine in the bloodstream. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that it inhibits or slows the function of whatever it binds to. When adenosine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain it promotes sleep by decreasing nerve cell activity. The accumulation of adenosine in the bloodstream increases as the day goes on and that is why towards the second half of the day when the most adenosine is present, you feel tired. This is also another reason proper sleep is so important. During the hours of the night and into the early hours of the morning, the body is hard at work depleting the amount of adenosine in the bloodstream. As a result of this, you can feel fresh and energized in the morning. Caffeine is able to enhance focus and energy because it binds to these adenosine receptors and blocks the inhibitory cascade initiated by adenosine. Due to this, Caffeine has earned the title of stimulant because it increases the activity of the brain.

Now for some tips on getting the most out of your cup of coffee. First and foremost, you should be monitoring how much coffee you have every day. If you are at the point where you need 3 to 4 cups to feel any of the side effects, you have built a very high tolerance. This is the result of excessive use and you should consider starting to cycle your coffee intake or stop completely for a designated amount of time. This will help get your caffeine sensitivity back to moderate levels. Secondly, it is best to wait at least 90 minutes after waking up before you drink caffeine. As I mentioned previously, adenosine in the bloodstream is still being depleted early in the morning and by intaking coffee too early, you are setting yourself up for a midday crash. The crash happens when the caffeine wears off and the adenosine that did not have time to dissipate, all binds to the adenosine receptors in a fury. This is the reason for the crash and sudden drowsiness. Lastly, it is best to stop all consumption of caffeine after 12 pm. The mean half-life of caffeine is 5 hours but it varies from person to person. This means that can take over 10 hours for the body to completely get rid of caffeine. For this reason, drinking caffeine within 10 hours of your bedtime can be a huge adherence to good sleep. By using these tips, you can get the most out of your cup of coffee.