CAFFEINE, CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL: TOO MUCH HAHA PRETTY SOON BOOHOO
Reading Time: 4 minutes 41 seconds
“I fucking hate sleeping, me. I wish I didn’t have to sleep, it’s such a waste of time. I’d rather be up, living.” – Liam Gallagher
There it is, straight from the mouth of Rock ‘n’ Roll royalty. And while we’ll always hand it to Liam for his moxie, let’s be real—if you sleep well, you can make the most of your waking hours. Sleep should not be the enemy; it’s your secret weapon.
Let's explore how this unholy trio, as much as we may love them, will end up making you feel like a man with a fork in a world of soup.
CAFFEINE’S IMPACT ON SLEEP
Caffeine’s impact lasts longer than you might expect. Caffeine's "half-life," which is the time it takes for your body to metabolise half of it, is about five to six hours. This means that if you have a cup of coffee at 2 PM, half of that caffeine is still active in your system at 8 PM.
This also means that 25% of the original caffeine is still in your brain at midnight. In other words, having a late afternoon coffee is like drinking a quarter cup of coffee right before bed.
WAKE-PROMOTING EFFECTS
Caffeine works by interfering with our body's natural sleep regulation system. During the day, our bodies make adenosine. This compound builds up and makes us feel sleepy. Caffeine molecules resemble adenosine in structure, which is unfortunate. This similarity allows them to attach to adenosine receptors in our brains. As caffeine blocks adenosine, our brains don’t get the natural "time to sleep" signal.
This creates an interesting paradox: caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, but adenosine keeps building up in your system. When the caffeine wears off, you may feel a "caffeine crash." This is the sudden tiredness that happens when the adenosine that built up finally binds to its receptors.
CAFFEINE SENSITIVITY
Genetic factors also play a role in how we process caffeine. Specific enzymes, determined by our genes, control the speed at which we metabolise caffeine. This explains why some people can drink coffee late in the day without as many sleep issues, while others need to cut off caffeine consumption much earlier. Even if that is true for you and caffeine doesn’t stop you from falling asleep, it will reduce the amount of deep sleep you get — the crucial stages of non-REM sleep. You wake up feeling tired and unrested, even if you don’t remember struggling to fall asleep or waking up at night. Because the connection isn’t obvious, you don’t link the poor sleep quality to the caffeine. Instead, you reach for two or three cups of coffee the next morning. You try to shake off the effects of what is called ‘unrestorative sleep’.
HIDDEN SOURCES OF CAFFEINE
Caffeine doesn't just lurk in your coffee cup. Several common foods and beverages contain surprising amounts of caffeine:
Decaffeinated coffee still has caffeine. It usually contains about 5% of what regular coffee has. But, it can sometimes be 20-30% based on how roasters remove caffeine.
Dark chocolate can contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.
Ice cream, especially coffee and chocolate flavours, for obvious reasons.
Energy drinks, as you’d expect.
Some soft drinks and teas contain significant amounts of caffeine.
ALCOHOL’S IMPACT ON SLEEP
One of the most common misconceptions about alcohol is its role as a sleep aid. While alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, it's important to understand that sedation is not the same as natural sleep. Brain activity patterns during alcohol-induced sleep differ greatly from those in natural sleep.
Alcohol affects your sleep in several key ways:
SLEEP FRAGMENTATION
Alcohol causes many brief awakenings throughout the night. These disruptions may be forgotten, but they significantly impact sleep quality. Fragmentations occur when alcohol triggers the nervous system's "fight or flight" response.
REM SLEEP INTERFERENCE
Alcohol particularly disrupts REM sleep, which is crucial for:
Mental and emotional health
Creativity
Memory consolidation
Lifespan (studies have linked longer REM sleep duration to increased longevity)
THE REM REBOUND EFFECT
As alcohol leaves your system in the early morning, your brain tries to regain lost REM sleep. This can lead to intense, vivid dreams if you sleep in after drinking. But, your brain can never completely recover all the lost REM sleep.
MEMORY AND LEARNING IMPACT
Research shows that alcohol greatly affects learning and memory by disrupting sleep. Studies show that drinking alcohol even three days after learning can lower retention by 30-50%. This shows how important undisturbed sleep is, not only on the night of learning but also for several nights after.
PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR BETTER SLEEP
CAFFEINE MANAGEMENT
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Limit caffeine consumption to morning hours—before 12pm
Consider your personal caffeine sensitivity when setting cutoff times
CONSUMPTION AWARENESS
Check labels for hidden caffeine sources
Be mindful of cumulative caffeine intake throughout the day
ALCOHOL MANAGEMENT
EVENING CONSUMPTION
If you choose to drink, try to finish a few hours before bedtime
Be aware that even one drink can impact sleep quality
SLEEP SCHEDULE
Keep a regular sleep schedule, even after drinking on weekends. If you’re on a night out, try to resist the urge to sleep in the next morning and aim to wake up at your usual time instead. If you’re still feeling tired, you can always squeeze in a quick nap later in the day.
This helps maintain your circadian rhythm
Consistent schedules help your body better manage both non-REM and REM sleep
THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE
Though this info may seem utterly joyless, it's key to view these insights with balance. The goal isn’t to eliminate caffeine or alcohol completely. It’s about making smart choices about how much you consume. Knowing how these substances impact you helps you use them wisely as you focus on improving your sleep.
Consider monitoring your sleep quality as you adjust your habits. Pay attention to how different consumption patterns affect your energy levels, mood, and cognitive performance the next day. This personal awareness can help you find the right balance for your lifestyle while maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
If you’re still reading and want to know how cigarettes affect sleep, here it is: They act as a stimulant, which delays sleep. They also disrupt the sleep you do have and greatly reduce restorative NREM deep sleep. In short, it’s as bad as you already knew, and you can add better sleep to the long list of reasons to give up.
Sleep is the foundation of your health. It affects everything, from how you think to how you feel. By making informed choices about your caffeine and alcohol consumption, you're pitching your own version of Morning Glory. And yes, that’s what she said.
