6 Simple Reasons Why Coffee Makes You Sleepy
Coffee is a great way to boost energy but comes with a vicious backlash that can make you very sleepy. People rely on caffeine to pick them up during the long hours after lunch but often fail to realize that they could be setting a tired trap for themselves. What are some reasons why coffee makes you sleepy?
Caffeine works by interfering with certain chemical processes in the brain, which regulate sleep and wake cycles. After one’s body completely breaks down its caffeine stores, they often find themselves exhausted because their natural process for regulating energy has been disrupted.
Leaning on caffeine to add a few extra work hours to the day can be an excellent idea if you know how your body will react. It will take time and some overdoing to get your intake down to a system. Don’t let that stop you! Read on and learn the reasons why coffee can make you sleepy.
1. Caffeine Blocks Crucial Chemicals in Your Bloodstream
Adenosine is a chemical created by the body that helps to regulate sleep. Coffee will block the chemical adenosine by flooding the receptors with caffeine in the stomach. As the effects of coffee wear out, the body begins to produce Adenosine at a much higher rate, sending your mind into a tailspin and dragging you towards much-needed sleep.
One of the main reasons people lean on coffee in the morning is that the body can overproduce Adenosine, leaving you with the zombie-like feeling most of us have upon waking. If you drink an excessive amount of coffee during a typical day, the body will counteract it by producing Adenosine.
2. Too Much Coffee Promotes Dehydration in the Body
Coffee is amazing. The body’s effects vary depending on the person, but coffee is a diuretic that will lead to dehydration. Extra blood flow to the kidneys will increase the amount of water that is pushed through. Meaning that the more coffee you ingest, the more your kidneys will work overtime to make nature ring its little bell.
Coffee is mysterious. Doctors are still trying to put together how caffeine works as a diuretic; what they know is that sodium levels can be raised, forcing the body to expel, through urination, any excess chemical. Too much coffee will make you have to visit the bathroom more and deplete your body of much-needed water.
An active bladder will keep you awake most of the night for frequent trips to the bathroom. A full bladder means that laying in the bed can be uncomfortable, and the extra pressure means there is a constant need to relieve yourself.
3. Coffee Additives can Cause a Sugar Crash
One of the biggest things about coffee is what you put into it. Today some creamers and additives can cause a sugar crash, just like candy. While it is masked with coffee, sugars will cause a much more intense crash than black coffee. When using additives and sweeteners, check the labels for sugar content.
Insulin is produced by the body when there is an excess of sugar introduced into your system. It is the body’s way of keeping homeostasis and fighting off the harmful effects of too much sugar on the body. Sugar is going to be a colossal determinant in your ability to stay awake. Sugar crashes cannot be fended off and must be accepted.
4. Stress is a Huge Factor in Coffee Crashes
Coffee can ratchet your existing stress levels through the roof. The combination of caffeine and stress is going to do a number on your body. Once your internal mechanisms reach the point that they are ready to shut down, there isn’t much you can do. Stress could increase this factor by adding in all your fears and nerves.
Being stressed and leaning on coffee isn’t a good idea because the crash results could be hazardous to you and your work. Everyone understands that meeting deadlines and performing work at its highest output is essential for the workplace. What they don’t see is the effect that coffee has on your sleep cycle. A lack of proper rest compounds stress.
5. Withdrawal from Caffeine can be Hard on Your Rest Cycle
On the backside of the other problems is how a lack of caffeine can mess with your body. If you are a constant coffee drinker, not having your appropriate number of cups could mean a significant crash. The body is an efficient machine that, once a new chemical is introduced, will assimilate and begin to crave the chemical.
Once the body reaches a state that it is dependent on the chemical, it will begin to show signs of withdrawal. These signs often manifest themselves with the opposite reactions of the chemical. With coffee, the body will become sluggish, and your energy level will bottom out in inappropriate, or possibly dangerous, situations.
6. Check the Contents of your Coffee
The push towards organic foods has opened many coffee drinkers’ eyes to other substances in their coffee. Studies show that there could be an excess of mold in coffee that has adverse effects on the drinker. These molds could increase the level of fatigue that most drinkers are trying to avoid.
Molds and fungi are such a vast area that knowing what type you have ingested or its effects on the body are hard to pin down. If you are nervous about the coffee you have been using, opt for a more organic brand, but keep in mind that all coffee at some point is going to be contaminated with a form of mold or fungus.
Ways to Combat the Effects of Coffee Crash
Learning how your body will respond to coffee is something you should know before jumping into the deep end. There could be a jittery and uneasy feeling for new coffee drinkers that keeps them from drinking coffee ever again. Pace yourself, and once your body has adapted, you can begin to use more coffee.
- Daily Intake – Like any other food, coffee has a daily intake amount that should be followed. When you go above this intake level, you can prevent Adenosine from being produced and cause a crash that could be extremely hard to recover from. Monitor your intake by writing down how many cups you have had during the day.
- Avoid Sugar and Sweetener – One of the biggest culprits behind a coffee crash is the additives you put in your coffee. Additives with lots of sugar will cause the body to crash even harder than just with black coffee. Pay attention to the labels, choose low sugar labels and lean on caffeine’s power to get the job done.
- Try some Decaf – If you feel your coffee is leading to unwanted crashes, you can switch things up with decaf or even tea. Switching off will allow the body to get back into its natural rhythm. Just substituting for coffee at lunch can give your late-night caffeine the boost you need to get through the night.
- Exercise can Help – If you are in a crashing situation, it might be time to strap on your running shoes and get in some miles. This will give the body some short-term energy that could bridge the gap between sleep and work.
Conclusion: Why Coffee Makes You Sleepy?
Coffee is a double-edged sword for everyone who uses it. While it gives you energy in the short term, over time, the effects become less pronounced. Leading to fatigue that cannot be reasoned with or avoided. Take breaks from caffeine if you have a large project on the horizon and use only what you need to keep the work flowing.
Your body needs sleep just as it needs to feed. When it comes to the work-hustle that so many people are forced to live, an edge like coffee can mean the difference between a completed project or a missed deadline. You should be careful that your intake doesn’t promote the inevitable crash when you lean on coffee too much.
If you’re interested to know more about the negative effects of caffeine, read this article.
It’s not all doom or gloom. Here is an article on the benefits of drinking coffee.
