Why do you want to sleep after coffee?
It is believed that coffee increases concentration and gives vigor. But the effect can also be the opposite. Let’s figure out how this popular drink works and why you want to sleep after coffee.
Why coffee invigorates
To produce energy in every cell of our body, including nerve cells, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules undergo a series of chemical transformations. One of the byproducts of this cycle is adenosine. This substance transmits signals between nerve cells in the brain and suppresses their activity.
The brain works, ATP is broken down, adenosine accumulates, and the person feels tired.
The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and, penetrating from the drink into the brain, the stimulant blocks adenosine receptors. As a result, the neurotransmitter does not suppress the activity of nerve cells and the person feels more alert and concentrates better. But this effect does not last forever.
Why Caffeine Can Make You Drowsy
There are several possible mechanisms for this action.
Because of tolerance
For those who drink coffee frequently, the body adapts to the constant supply of caffeine and adenosine receptors become larger. If the same amount of stimulant is supplied as before, it can no longer provide vigor and an additional mug of drink will be required for a similar effect.
Moreover, it takes very little time to develop tolerance. In one experiment, after just three days of consistent caffeine consumption, it no longer masked sleep deprivation.
Thus, if a person has not had enough sleep and is accustomed to caffeine, after a glass of coffee he will experience a very small increase in energy, and only if he is lucky. And then the caffeine will disintegrate, adenosine will reach its receptors and the person will be drawn to sleep .
Due to rapid decomposition
How quickly caffeine stops working depends on your personality. Some people’s bodies break down caffeine faster , and this is associated with genetics.
In addition, the number of adenosine receptors is also important. Some people have a lot of them without any tolerance, so caffeine is unable to mask fatigue. Simply put, coffee does not affect them at all: it does not add vigor and does not disturb sleep .
In addition, the half-life of caffeine increases nicotine, by as much as 50%. This means that if you smoke a cigarette after coffee, the invigorating potential of the drink will be greatly reduced and you will very soon feel drowsy.
Through the effect on blood glucose levels
Taking caffeine can negatively affect glucose metabolism if the person has not slept well beforehand. One experiment found that after a cup of coffee, taking carbohydrates increased blood sugar levels and insulin concentrations more than without exposure to the stimulant.
That is, if you didn’t sleep well and then drank coffee, the subsequent breakfast or the sugar from the drink itself can cause a sharp rise in blood glucose levels.
Although hyperglycemia does not cause drowsiness in healthy people, women with type 2 diabetes may feel tired when their blood sugar rises.
How to prevent sleepiness after drinking coffee
Based on the possible causes of drowsiness, we can give some advice:
- Get enough sleep. Caffeine will not replace healthy sleep , but will only provide short-term relief, and then until you develop tolerance. If you are particularly sensitive to this stimulant or indulge in the drink shortly before bed, it may interfere with your sleep, which will only increase sleepiness.
- Drink coffee occasionally. If you have developed a tolerance, giving up coffee for a couple of weeks will help restore the adenosine system. So when you especially need concentration, for example after a sleepless night before an exam or on a long drive, a glass of coffee or a can of energy will really perk you up.
- Stop smoking. The less nicotine, the longer the effect of coffee will last.
- Test your glucose tolerance. If you have risk factors for type II diabetes – prediabetes , excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle, you are over 45 years old, you have had gestational diabetes, or a close relative has type II diabetes, consult your doctor for an examination.