In today's fast-paced world, many of us turn to stimulants to keep up with demanding schedules, deadlines, or even to combat feelings of fatigue. While they can offer a temporary energy boost, consuming stimulants too close to bedtime can wreak havoc on our sleep quality and patterns. Let's delve into some common stimulants to steer clear of before bedtime to ensure a restful night's sleep.
Coffee is undoubtedly one of the most popular beverages around the world. Known for its ability to boost alertness and energy levels, it has become a morning ritual for many. However, there's an intriguing paradox associated with coffee—despite its reputation as a stimulant, it can sometimes leave us feeling tired and sluggish. In this blog post, we'll explore the factors that contribute to this phenomenon and shed light on why coffee can occasionally have a paradoxical effect of making you tired.
Caffeine is stimulant that is used around the world to combat sleepiness. It is present in coffee, teas, sodas, and other supplements to help provide energy throughout the day. It is natural, but can also be synthetically produced.
Caffeine normally affects the body within about 30-60 minutes of consumption. It is efficiently distributed throughout the whole body and can cross the blood-brain barrier.
Inside the brain, it blocks a sleep-promoting chemical and can also interfere with the circadian melatonin rhythms. Caffeine has a half-life of 4-6 hours, which means that's how long it takes for approximately half of it to remain in your system. So, consuming caffeine in the evening could keep you up at night because of how long it takes your body to metabolize it.
Caffeine can have a significant impact on sleep, so it's important to understand how it works, and how you should be consuming it for optimal sleep health.
Carbonated drinks are heavily consumed throughout the US. Whether you know them as pop, soda, coke, or another name, carbonated drinks are consumed at a high daily rate by US youths and adults. Soft drinks are also the most common source of added sugar in the average American diet. They are very popular, despite their link to a myriad of health problems, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart, liver and kidney disease.
Soda can also negatively impact sleep. Continue reading to find out more about these drinks can delay necessary hours of precious sleep.