Caffeine the Sleep Thief

Yes. Caffeine! I know, it’s just a coffee and for many (maybe most) the odd cup of coffee or caffeinated soft drink makes no difference to sleep patterns. But for those of us who need to actively work on getting good sleep, caffeine can cause us lots of problems through the night. 

Caffeine is found in lots of things. Coffee, tea (yes tea too!), some soft drinks, energy drinks and even chocolate. So if you have a cup of tea with breakfast, a chocolate biscuit at morning tea, a can of Coke with lunch and an espresso after, an afternoon cup of tea and a pieces of chocolate cake for dessert you are really starting to rack up some caffeine in your system. If sleep is not a problem for you then maybe no harm done, but if you are struggling with your sleep then this type of daily caffeine intake is not going to help.

The other unfortunate problem with caffeine is that it is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When we are feeling tired during the day we often reach out for a ‘caffeine pick me up!’ Why? Because caffeine can make us feel more alert and wake in as little as 15 minutes after it enters our system. So if we want to feel awake and alert for that 4:00pm meeting, what better way than to take a coffee in with us. But but but….there is always ying and yang in the world and Mr Caffeine will come looking for his payment later that night! Remember caffeine is a drug and it has been known to cause physical dependance. 

So the message here is just to be sensible with caffeine. Enjoy foods and drinks with caffeine but don’t over do it, especially if you are having trouble sleeping. Try to avoid that second espresso or energy drink. And try to limit caffeine intake to the first half of the day. It might also help to take a few days off caffeine every now and again to allow your body to expel all the caffeine from your system. 

There are many that suggest we cut out all caffeine if we are serious about getting better sleep. You may want to start here, but if that sounds a bit daunting then why not make a start by just being sensible about the amount both caffeine intake and timing. And if you really must have a warm drink before bed have you considered caffeine-free herbal teas? Try a Chamomile tea before bed...

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