✉️ This story was featured in this week’s Coffee News Club
👋 Get the Coffee News Club newsletter in your inbox weekly—sign up.
We’ve all been there: too much coffee, or coffee too late in the day, means a sleepless night. But what if we told you that the idea that caffeine keeps you awake at night is all nonsense, and caffeine doesn’t actually impact sleep all that much? Well, that’s what a new study claims.
A group of researchers in Sweden examined the coffee consumption habits and sleep health of more than 25,000 participants aged 50-64. The study, published in PLOS One, found that most reported good sleep quality, despite 88% enjoying one or more cups of coffee each day.
In fact, low coffee intake was associated with poorer sleep quality, whereas high intake was associated with better sleep quality. People who consumed more coffee had fewer nighttime awakenings, less trouble falling asleep, and awoke early less often.
The authors suggest that regular coffee consumption might lead to long-term biological adaptation to caffeine—a theory that completely contradicts this writer’s personal experience.
As with many other similar studies, their research relied on self-reported data, with participants describing their own coffee and sleep habits, while the timing of coffee intake was not considered. Nonetheless, “these results indicate that coffee may be less impactful on sleep habits than previously thought,” the authors wrote.
Photo by Quin Stevenson on Unsplash
