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The Impact of Caffeine on Your Sleep

November 13, 2023

Have you ever leaned on caffeine to help you get through the day and then have the worst sleep ever? Well, did you know about the effects caffine can have on your sleep? If not, no worries! I’m here to tell you all about it,  so keep reading!

flat lay photography of coffee latte, ground coffee, and coffee beans

We’ve all been there, pulling an all-nighter to cram for an exam or binge-watch a show. In those moments, we often turn to caffeine as our trusty companion to help us stay awake. Caffeine is renowned for its effectiveness as a wakefulness-promoting agent. However, one of its most noticeable effects is its ability to interfere with our ability to fall asleep. It can significantly reduce the total duration of our sleep and the amount of restorative deep sleep we cherish. Therefore, overindulging in caffeine in a single day is probably not the wisest thing to do.

Caffeine in Products:

Take a look at this chart, which will help you compare the caffeine levels in everyday products:

Product

Serving Size

Caffeine (mg)

Coffee

Coffee, brewed

1 cup (8 oz)

95

Espresso

1 oz

64

Coffee, instant

8 oz

62

Coffee, brewed, decaf

1 cup (8 oz)

2

Tea

Lipton Black Tea

1 cup

55

Tea, brewed

1 cup (8 oz)

47

Lipton 100% Green Tea

1 cup

45

Tea, herbal

1 cup (8 oz)

0

Energy Drinks

Monster

16 oz

173

Rockstar

16 oz

158

Red Bull

12 oz

(16 oz equivalence)

111

(148)

Red Bull

8.4 oz

(2 can equivalence)

77

(154)

Sodas

Pepsi One

12 oz

54

Diet Coke

12 oz

46.5

Pepsi

12 oz

37.5

Diet Pepsi

12 oz

36

Coca Cola Classic

12 oz

34.5

Sprite, 7-Up

12 oz

0.0

Medications

NoDoz

1 tablet

200

Vivarin

1 tablet

200

Extra Strength Excedrin

2 tablets

130

Anacin

2 tablets

64

Other

Milk chocolate bar

1 bar (1.55 oz)

9

Frozen yogurt, chocolate

1 cup

5

Chocolate ice cream

1 cup

4

Hot cocoa

1 packet, 6 oz water

4

Some Tips to Help:  

  • Keep your caffeine intake in check by sticking to around 300 mg to 400 mg per day, which equals roughly four cups (8oz) of coffee. 
  • Reduce your caffeine intake gradually. Try cutting back by drinking one less soda or having a smaller coffee per day.
  • Consider switching to decaffeinated options. Most decaffeinated drinks taste and look just like their caffeinated counterparts. 
  • When making tea, brew it for a shorter time to lower its caffeine content. Alternatively, opt for herbal teas that don’t contain caffeine at all. 

Give these tips a shot, and hopefully, you see some improvements in your sleep! Please note these are just a few tips, and there is so much more that you can do, so be sure to do some more research!  

Resources: