As of: February 24, 2024, 7:00 p.m
By: Laura Knops
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Coffee is one of the most popular stimulants in this country.
The caffeine it contains stimulates the nervous system - but can also lead to sleep problems.
Caffeine from drinks such as coffee, cola or energy drinks enters the blood through the intestines after consumption.
For most people, it reaches its maximum concentration after just 30 minutes, as the
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
informs.
Caffeine can therefore take effect fairly quickly in the brain.
While some people barely notice a cup of coffee, others still lie awake in bed hours later.
In fact, every person reacts differently to caffeine.
But why is that?
Awake for hours: does caffeine really disrupt your sleep?
Immediately after getting up or in the afternoon - everyone enjoys their coffee in a different way. For many people, however, caffeine affects the quality of sleep.
© Cavan Images/Imago
If you have trouble falling asleep in the evening or have trouble staying asleep, you should reconsider your coffee consumption.
It's not just the amount of caffeine you consume every day that plays a role.
When you drink your last coffee also affects the quality of your sleep.
According to researchers at
Griffith University,
caffeine still has an effect on sleep even six hours before going to bed: on average, participants in their study slept less and worse.
EEG studies (measuring the heart's electrical currents) also showed that deep sleep was also impaired.
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Sensitive to coffee: certain gene is crucial
Scientists were also able to detect differences between individual test subjects.
According to studies, the fact that every person reacts differently to caffeine is genetically determined.
Caffeine acts on the so-called adenosine receptors in the brain.
These are known as fatigue makers and influence the sleep-wake rhythm.
Caffeine ensures that these receptors are blocked.
The adenosine can no longer bind to the receptors intended for it - the drowsy effect is prevented.
The ADORA2A gene determines the expression of the adenosine receptors.
These can vary from person to person - every person therefore reacts differently to coffee.
According to researchers at the University of Zurich
, those who are particularly sensitive will
struggle with sleep problems after just one cup of coffee in the afternoon.
Non-sensitive coffee drinkers, on the other hand, can drink the hot drink until shortly before going to bed.
However, around 40 percent of the population is considered to be normally sensitive.
For them, the quality of sleep is only impaired if they consume coffee late or particularly heavily.
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Coffee changes sleep
But even if every person reacts differently to coffee, regular and, above all, daily consumption has a
lasting effect on sleep, according to experts at the
Sleep Foundation :
Coffee affects the quality of sleep.
Not only do coffee drinkers wake up more often during the night, they also sleep more easily.
Drinking coffee every day can cause you to fall asleep late, as the
AOK
reports.
The resulting lack of sleep is difficult to make up for.
The well-deserved restful sleep on the weekend is less restorative for coffee drinkers than for people who don't drink coffee.
Those who avoid caffeine recover more quickly from previous sleep deprivation.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about medical conditions.