You may enjoy an espresso after dinner, whereas your spouse can't have more than a cup a day, and never past noon. Coffee's effects on energy levels are somewhat complex, setting up a range of reactions over the short and long term. In addition, the effects of coffee vary between habitual drinkers and abstainers and from one individual to the next. If you are concerned about your coffee use or your energy patterns, consult your doctor about potential lifestyle or dietary changes.
Coffee and Energy Levels
According to surveys by pharmacologist Avram Goldstein of Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, discontinuing coffee use typically results in decreased morning drowsiness. While subjects report that they no longer feel the stimulation during an hour or two following coffee drinking, they also note decreased sleepiness upon waking and greater productivity throughout the day. Quentin Regestein of Brigham and Women's Hospital says individuals who sleep soundly directly after drinking coffee may have developed an increased tolerance for caffeine or they may simply have a high threshold for caffeine sensitivity. The effects of caffeine vary widely among individuals.
Sleepiness and Withdrawal
John Carney, a researcher at the University of Kentucky who studies the effects of caffeine, says the caffeine from coffee only acts on the body for about four hours before the liver breaks it down and the kidneys dispose of it. Following this period, it's common for coffee drinkers to experience a marked drop in energy. Stopping regular caffeine use can lead to drowsiness as well as a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, irritability and nausea or even vomiting.
Alternatives to Coffee
Instead of using coffee to adjust your energy levels, you can adopt habits such as napping or exercise to avoid negative side effects and caffeine dependency. According to Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher at the University of California San Diego, a one-hour nap restores energy more powerfully than drinking a small cup of coffee. In addition, subjects who napped showed better memory and increased creativity. The Mayo Clinic suggests regular exercise in helping to fall asleep easily at night and improve your stamina during the day.
Additional Considerations
Caffeine's effects vary widely from one person to the next. A small cup can leave one person jittery and excitable, whereas a regular coffee drinker can easily down an espresso right before bed. Regardless of your constitution and your drinking habits, coffee is dehydrating, making it necessary to drink more fluids.
References
- "Chicago Reader"; Does Coffee Make You Sleepy?; Roger Downey; May 1990
- MedLine Plus: Caffeine in the Diet
- UCSD News; Take a Nap! Change Your Life; Ioana Patringenaru; March 2009
- Mayo Clinic; Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity; May 2011
- Mayo Clinic; Caffeine: Is it Dehydrating or Not?; Katharine Zeratsky; August 2011
- Mayo Clinic; Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?; March 2011
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