Morning jolt of caffeine might mask serious sleep problems
June 11, 2008 – 7:48 am
Most of us will race to our favorite coffee shop to get that caffeine boost to make it through the day. However, the daily jolt that we crave might be the reason we need the caffeine in the first place.
Dr. Joshua Septimus, an internist with The Methodist Hospital, says most people use caffeine to push their bodies to the extreme when they could get the same boost of energy from a good night’s sleep.
Caffeine is a stimulant that is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants and affects the central nervous system. It makes most people feel energetic, alert and productive, until its effects wear off. Heavy doses of caffeine (between 500 and 600 milligrams or about four to seven cups of coffee) will not only cause difficulty sleeping, but can also increase your heart rate, cause muscle tremors and headaches. Septimus recommends drinking no more than 200 milligrams of coffee (about two cups of regular coffee) a day.
Many of us who have difficulty sleeping need to find out why we are having problems. Some 12 million people in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea and are not aware of the problem. This condition, which is an obstruction of the airway, causes people to stop breathing during sleep. Most people wake up from a deep sleep hundreds of times a night, and when they finally get up in the morning, they are exhausted, and head straight for the caffeine drinks to make it through the day. Septimus says most people don’t realize how much more productive and vibrant they would feel if they could get eight solid hours of sleep a night.
The Methodist Hospital Website
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