Drinking coffee in the afternoon costs an hour of sleep

If you are passionate about coffee, it is best to leave it to the early hours. According to scientists, the problem is not just take it just before going to bed, consuming the drink up to six hours before bedtime can cost up to one hour less of sleep.
An investigation conducted by Wayne State University, in Michigan, tracked the sleep habits of 12 people who received pills with 400 mg of caffeine, the equivalent of two cups of coffee. For four days, candidates have used doses between three and six hours before going to bed. One of the tablets was a placebo without caffeine. Sleep quality was measured with a sleep diary and a monitor.
The results published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that caffeine consumed up to five hours before bedtime can take an hour of sleep. "People tend to be less likely to detect negative effects of caffeine on sleep when taken in the afternoon," says psychiatrist Christopher Drake.
Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee, interrupts the flow of melatonin, a chemical that influences sleep. Secreted by the pineal gland deep in the brain, the hormone helps control the rhythms of the body and tell the body when is time to sleep and wake up.
"Sleep experts have always suspected that caffeine can disrupt sleep long after consumption. This study provides objective evidence to support the general recommendation to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening is beneficial for sleep", advised Safwan Badr, from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Source: Terra Brasil