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how long does coffee keep you awake

How Long Does Coffee Keep You Awake?

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How Long Does Coffee Keep You Awake?

Coffee contains caffeine, a natural substance that can also be extracted from plants. It could be found in beans, tea leaves and cocoa beans. Scientifically, caffeine is classified as a drug called stimulants that promotes alertness. With this benefit, people love to drink coffee to keep them going during the day but make sure to check one’s intake to avoid trouble in sleeping.

If you’re a regular coffee drinker, it is important to understand the effects of caffeine on your body of how long does coffee keep you awake. It acts as “adenosine receptor antagonist”, a substance in our body that promotes sleepiness. It helps block this receptor to keep you awake. It is also considered as an effective alerting agent and can positively impact your reaction, mood and mental performance. It works best when taken on an intermittent or on-off basis. But higher dosage may lead to adverse effects. Keep in mind that consuming it daily   makes it less effective as stimulant since your body build tolerance to it.

So how long does coffee keep you awake?

Caffeine, specifically in coffee takes effect when you drink the coffee earlier in the afternoon or evening. Studies found that caffeine can delay the timing of your clock. This effect can cause you having trouble of sleeping. It is also observed that consuming coffee 6 hours before bedtime can reduce an hour of sleep time.

It starts to penetrate your body very quickly. It can reach the peak level in your blood within 30 to 60 minutes. It has a half-life of 3-5 hours. It acts as central nervous system stimulant and increases body fluid excretion.  But people’s sensitivity to caffeine varies as there are some can already feel the effects within a cup while others need to drink several cups without adverse effects.

There could be times when you drink your coffee you start to feel its effects within 15 minutes. It can stay in your system for four to six hours. If you drink coffee every day, your body will develop tolerance. When you drink one cup of coffee it may keep you awake for one or two hours. The more you drink, the longer you’ll stay awake. The larger the amount of caffeine in your bloodstream, the greater its effects. But again, it still depends on your caffeine tolerance. With this habit, you may also develop addiction or dependence on coffee in order for you to stay awake. As your body becomes resistant to caffeine, you can barely notice its effects on you.

How long does coffee keep you awake?

Well, there’s no certain set time limit to it. Its duration effects depend upon the dosage and on some personal factors of the one drinking like age, body weight and his sensitivity to caffeine. Caffeine can disrupt one’s sleeping pattern or even lead to a lesser sleep quality. If caffeine is the primary cause of your sleeping trouble then you should limit your intake until you can determine the right amount for you without compromising your sleep. As caffeine blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in our brain and increases adrenaline production, it is advised to avoid drinking coffee or consuming caffeinated products several hours before bedtime.

It could also be a great help if you will make a habit of relaxation before going to bed. Caffeine is a helpful drug but too much consumption can lead to disorders as well. It is mainly consumed every morning to keep awaken. As they say, it is the most abused substance as more people ingest this drug. Its effects can be felt quickly and appear until most of it is metabolized. But how long does it take? It has been observed that would it take from 5-8 hours.

On the other hand, you will realize that you have consumed too much if you feel these symptoms:

  • Nervousness
  • Stomachache
  • Diarrhea
  • rapid irregular heartbeat
  • sweating, anxiety attacks
  • irritability

If you have liver problems, it can get even worse if you continue having too much caffeine. Like any other drugs, if you’re used drinking or using it, there’s a possibility of dependence on the coffee and going without it may lead to withdrawal symptoms.

What are these withdrawal symptoms?

When you decided to stop drinking coffee nor consuming caffeine you may feel some withdrawal symptoms such as:

  • General fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Lack of focus
  • Headaches or migraines

 

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You can get rid of these symptoms when you opt to drink coffee again. But if you are decided and determined to stop, you may overcome these symptoms within a few days.

 

If you regularly consumed too much of caffeine and then you decided to stop suddenly, it’s where you can experience these symptoms. So, it’s better to gradually reduce your intake than abruptly quitting drinking.

 

To summarize, caffeine ingested in our body may disrupt our sleep patterns. Its effects typically last for a few hours. If you experience trouble sleeping or waking up, for healthier option, better consult a professional or a doctor. If caffeine is keeping you awake, there are some alternatives to improve your sleep quality. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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