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Does Coffee Sometimes Makes You Sleepy?

  • Writer: Donna Estrada
    Donna Estrada
  • Feb 19, 2018
  • 3 min read


Not all people who drink coffee can stay awake when they are drinking this caffeinated drink. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors in our body. Adenosine is the hormones that makes us feel tired and once the effect of coffee wears off, you will immediately feel sleepy afterwards. However, this is not the exact reason why coffee can make a person fall asleep.

If you want to know how possible it is for a person to feel sleepy after drinking a cup of coffee, here are the reasons why.


Based on your genes

In a study, Genetics of Caffeine Consumption and Responses to Caffeine, it states that the caffeine response and consumptions depends on the individual differences. In addition, “Genetic factors may influence responses to caffeine directly, by altering acute or chronic reactions to the drug, or indirectly, by affecting other psychological or physiological processes that are related to the drug effect. Finally, genes can also alter the body’s adaptive responses to long-term caffeine use.”


There are two types of genes: CYP1A2 fast and CYP1A2 slow. You have a CYP1A2 fast when the coffee is processed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body quickly. On the other hand, you have a CYP1A2 slow when the coffee lingers in your bloodstream. This is the reason why every people have different reaction to caffeine. And, that is because of the genes that they have.


Coffee dehydrates you

Effectivity of the caffeine in your body usually wears off because of the reason that coffee is a diuretic. What is diuretic and how can it affect our body? According to ABC Health and Wellness, “diuretic is a substance that causes your body to produce urine, and it has been suggested caffeine can do this because it increases blood flow through the kidneys”.


When the frequency of urination starts to increase and the water in your system starts to reduce, you will feel more tired than before. When the effect of the coffee wears off, as mentioned, the adenosine receptors ability can be doubled which is why you sometimes feel that you are too tired that eventually leads to sleepiness.


Too much sugar and caffeine

Feeling tired and unable to have enough energy to work is the effect of taking too much caffeine the day before. It is because your body has used up all the energy to keep you awake which withdraws the capacity of the coffee that you are drinking to keep you awake. Never go more than the recommended level caffeine intake. Always remember that it varies in every person.


How the caffeine affects your body depends on your genes and other factors. Some people can comfortably sleep after drinking coffee, and some people could not. And this is because of the activities that they are doing before they drink the said beverage. If ever you slept the other day, it can compensate the hours of sleep that should have. That is one of the reasons why you are sleepy even after drinking a cup of coffee.


Moderation is the Key

Drinking coffee has a lots of benefits in our body. It can’t make you sleepy through drinking it with moderation. Drink just about 2-4 cups of no more than 400 grams of caffeine. Choose wisely, don’t opt for coffee with too much sugar or when making it on your own add some natural brown sugar. And finally, partner it with water.

 
 
 

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