Sleep and Caffeine

Are you looking for ways to get a better night’s sleep? One thing that can help is to reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet. You might be surprised to discover just how much caffeine you actually consume in a day. When looking for good sleeping tips, one of the first things mentioned is to cut back or eliminate caffeine to help promote a healthy sleep cycle. Remember, it’s not just how much coffee you drink in a day, but the total amount of caffeine consumed through tea, soda, and chocolate snacks. Different people experience different caffeine effects. Individuals who are highly sensitive may experience a wide range of side-effects including irritability, nervousness, headaches, and insomnia.

The effects of caffeine on sleep vary as much as the physiological response to the substance depending on the individual. Generally, however, caffeine stimulates the nervous system making it very hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you tend to drink a couple cups of coffee in the early part of the day, you may not experience any trouble falling asleep at night. Drinking or eating foods high in caffeine late in the afternoon or early in the evening may very well be the cause of your insomnia or sleep-related issues.

Not ready to give up that cup of java? You probably don’t have to. Unless you have other health conditions that are worsened by caffeine intake, you may only need to cut back. Try mixing some decaffeinated coffee into your regular cup as a way to start cutting back gradually. Worried that you won’t have any more energy after cutting back on caffeine? Fear not. Research suggests that the jittery high you get from caffeine actually puts a strain on your body, causing you to actually feel more tired than you really are. As a result, you end up reaching for more caffeine, causing a vicious cycle. The next thing you know, you’re in a situation where you’ve had too much caffeine and no sleep, leaving you vulnerable to illness, accidents, forgetfulness, and anxiety.

If you’re not sleeping well, it’s tempting to blame somebody or something else. The reality is it could very well be your own habits causing you to lose that precious commodity called sleep. Want to get a better night’s sleep? Take the first step by reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet.

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