Your Coffee May Lead To These Brain Changes During Sleep

Person sleepingOK, so experts tend to agree that drinking more than 400mg of caffeine a day might not be great for us.But in general, it seems that those who stick to a moderate amount (less than four cups) a day might actually see some benefits to their heart health, diabetes protection, and even longevity. And now, a study published in Communications Biology has found that caffeine, found in tea and coffee, could lead to some brain changes during sleep – especially during sleep outside of the rapid eye movement (REM) stage. Caffeine has been linked to increased brain complexity during sleep The study looked at 40 healthy adults aged 20-58. They were monitored using electrodes placed on the scalp (EEGs) on two nights of sleep: once, without caffeine, and another time, with 200mg (about two cups of coffee’s worth) of caffeine in their system. After analysing the results with a combination of statistical analysis and AI, they found that caffeine increased brain complexity during sleep, especially non-REM sleep, as well as “criticality.” Philipp Thölke, the study’s first author, explained: “The results showed that caffeine increased the complexity of brain signals, reflecting more dynamic and less predictable neuronal activity, especially during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep that’s crucial for memory consolidation and cognitive recovery.”Sleep researcher Professor Julie Carrier, who was involved in the research, added, “Caffeine stimulates the brain and pushes it into a state of criticality, where it is more awake, alert and reactive.“While this is useful during the day for concentration, this state could interfere with rest at night: the brain would neither relax nor recover properly.”Younger people seemed to be more affected than middle-aged people.Does this mean coffee harms my sleep?The researchers found that it’s linked to delayed, shallower, and more “active” sleep, especially at the stages in which your brain would usually settle into its most restorative cycle.Professor Jerbi said, “This change in the brain’s rhythmic activity may help explain why caffeine affects the efficiency with which the brain recovers during the night, with potential consequences for memory processing.” And Professor Carrier shared that “Caffeine stimulates the brain and pushes it into a state of criticality, where it is more awake, alert and reactive. While this is useful during the day for concentration, this state could interfere with rest at night: the brain would neither relax nor recover properly.”But these researchers gave healthy individuals caffeine just before they went to bed (three hours and then one hour beforehand). This doesn’t necessarily show you what would happen if you had coffee in the daytime. The scientists say they’re excited to see what further studies into the topic will reveal in the future, especially regarding the change’s application in the daytime.Related...Coffee May Make You Live Longer, But Only If You Drink It This WayCoffee May Have Surprising Ageing Benefits For Women, Study FindsThe 1 Sign A Coffee Expert Wants You To Look For On The Pack

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