Why Does Caffeine Make Me Tired?

You love caffeine, right? Coffee, tea, or energy drink lovers all agree that caffeine’s the best. It makes you feel awake, alive, and keeps you going when it gets rough. But what if I told you that caffeine is actually making you more tired than you think? What if caffeine was actually tricking your body into feeling awake, but actually leaves you feeling sleepy and drained?

If this feeling rings a bell, as it does for millions of other people, chances are you’re experiencing caffeine fatigue. We’re here to help you overcome the dark side of caffeine so you can use it to your benefit rather than your detriment. Let’s discuss.

Why am I Always Tired?: The Caffeine Scam

Caffeine is a natural substance. It’s found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and other plants from around the world. It works by blocking adenosine, a chemical in your brain. Adenosine makes you feel sleepy as the day goes on. Naturally, blocking adenosine will prevent you from that lovely, natural sleepy feeling. While this can help you feel more productive and increase your performance, there’s a catch.

Caffeine doesn’t actually get rid of adenosine at all. It merely masks its effects. The minute the caffeine begins to wear off, the adenosine comes back with a vengeance. This is called the caffeine crash.

Why Does Caffeine Make Me Tired?: The Sleep Cycle Assassin

If you’re a big caffeine drinker, you may be inadvertently ruining your sleep cycle. And your sleep cycle is incredibly important when your body is deciding whether to feel sleepy or awake. It is the natural rhythm of your brain and body.

Caffeine can disrupt your sleep cycle in a few ways. First, we want to note that just having caffeine moderately isn’t a bad thing. Most of these issues occur when individuals consume caffeine at high rates (for example, if you’re drinking 5+ cups of coffee a day) or when they consume it right before sleep. Caffeine is meant to keep us alert and stimulated, which is why most people shouldn’t consume it before bed. Most would recommend not drinking any caffeine after 3PM. Both stimulation and alertness are the natural enemies of sleep.

An active state of mind can delay the onset of sleep. It can also lower the quality and quantity of your sleep by stopping you from reaching the deep stages of NREM sleep, the stages where you heal and recharge your body and mind. Lastly, it can shorten the time you spend in REM sleep by making you wake up more often during the night. All these effects can eventually pile up, leading to sleep deprivation, which damages your brain function, mood, and immune system. Just a recommendation: Enjoy your coffee/caffeine in the morning and in moderation and all is good.

Why Do I Have No Energy?: The Hormone Mystery

If you find your body behaving strangely and you don’t know why, the prime suspect may be the one you least expect: regular old caffeine. Caffeine can trigger the release of cortisol, the stress hormone that prepares you for danger. This hormone raises your blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and metabolism, giving you a temporary surge of energy. However, cortisol can also harm your body, by lowering your immune system, digestion, and growth, and causing inflammation, anxiety, and depression.

If you give your body a sense of stress and danger before bed, you’re going to disrupt your ability to sleep. Cortisol messes with your circadian rhythm, which works in tandem with your sleep cycle to create your body’s day-night cycle.

Caffeine also affects your insulin sensitivity, which means your body’s ability to use blood sugar can be disrupted. You can harm your body by making your blood sugar go up and down like a roller coaster. This makes you feel tired and hungry for more sweets and coffee. This can create a cycle of caffeine abuse and reliance, which will only make you more exhausted and sick.

Where is the Greener Grass?: How to Smash Caffeine Fatigue

Stop letting caffeine ruin your sleep. You have to be in charge of how much and when you drink coffee. Follow these steps to get out of the caffeine trap:

• Drink no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day. That’s four coffees or two energy drinks. No caffeine after noon. It ruins your sleep.
• Drink water. Caffeine dries you out and makes you tired. Water cleans your system of caffeine and adenosine.
• Eat well. Protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbs give you energy. Sugar, refined carbs, and additives have been linked to inflammation and fatigue.
• Exercise. It boosts your blood, oxygen, metabolism, and mood. It helps you deal with stress, lower cortisol, and sleep better.
• Use Sleep Habit Trackers. Use an app or a journal. Find out what messes up your sleep, like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, light, noise, temperature, and stress. Get rid of them. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. It improves your sleep cycle and energy levels.

Caffeine is not evil. It’s just tricky. In this article we’ve discussed a few tips on how to beat caffeine fatigue and catch up on your sleep. The long and short of it is this: caffeine is not a life hack. It’s a drug. Don’t drink too much or too often, and don’t forget to sleep regularly, eat right, and exercise often and your sleep will bounce right back to where it’s supposed to be. And if you find yourself wanting to optimize your sleep even further, we’re the sleep experts you need to do just that. Feel free to get in touch and join our six-week sleep fitness program today.