Caffeine is considered the most popular stimulant drug in the world, used by much of the population on a regular basis. While some of this use may be simply due to cultural traditions or other factors, it's clear that many people prize caffeine's stimulating properties. After all, if you've ever stumbled out of bed in the morning and reached for a cup of coffee to "wake up," or downed a soda or two to stay up late studying at night, you know that caffeine has physical effects. Caffeine influences many aspects of nervous system function -- including your ability to concentrate.
Caffeine and Your Brain
Because caffeine is a stimulant, it exerts multiple influences on your brain. It's true that caffeine increases your alertness, temporarily making you feel more awake, energized and able to focus, notes Kids Health, a subsidiary of the Nemours Foundation Center for Children's Health Media. According to MayoClinic.com, caffeine also improves concentration. This may help explain caffeine's popularity among college students and teenagers, who often rely on caffeine to help them focus on their studies.
Caveats
But while caffeine does increase wakefulness, concentration and your ability to focus, these benefits do not last forever. Kansas State University's Counseling Services point out that the energizing, mood-elevating effects of caffeine disappear rather quickly, leading to the opposite experience about an hour after caffeine ingestion. Caffeine encourages insulin production, which raises blood sugar temporarily. But when blood sugar begins to fall, you may feel fatigued, grumpy and unable to concentrate.
Too Much Caffeine
Caffeine can also cause a number of unpleasant and sometimes even dangerous side effects when consumed in excess. According to the National Institutes of Health, too much caffeine can lead to rapid heartbeat, anxiety, insomnia, low mood, nausea, restlessness, tremors and vomiting. But it can be difficult for many people to determine how much is too much. Generally, says MayoClinic.com, the amount of coffee in two to four cups of coffee per day is fine. That's about 200 to 400 mg of caffeine. But some people may experience adverse reactions from even small amounts of caffeine.
Considerations
A number of physical and psychological conditions can affect concentration for the better and the worse. If you are concerned about your ability to concentrate or worry that you rely too much on caffeine to help you concentrate, consult your physician for help. She can evaluate your situation fully and provide recommendations for healthy ways to improve your concentration or guidance regarding cutting down on caffeine.
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