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Introduction

Do you remember grabbing that cup of coffee while pulling an all-nighter before your last semester exam? We all have been there. In all honesty, the only way many of us made it through the college semester exams was by relying on a cup of coffee almost every single day.

Caffeine is the main ingredient in coffee which is responsible for causing instant alertness as it peaks in the blood within an hour of consumption. Caffeine primarily works as a central nervous system stimulant. It gives you that jolt of energizing freshness in the morning before you head off to work or college.

Many people rely on coffee to get that extra dash of alertness when they're sleepy. Coffee affects sleep, but how exactly does it affect our body and long-term sleeping habits? Let's find out.

How Caffeine Affects the Body?

Before we delve into how caffeine affects our bodies, let's take a brief look at how exactly caffeine functions at the physiological level. I was reading this book called 'Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams' by Matthew Walker, Neuroscientist, wherein he beautifully explained caffeine's mechanism of action. Let’s take a deeper look at the key points from the thesis.

How Coffee Works: Caffeine's Mechanism of Action

Adenosine is a molecule derived from ATP, aka the 'energy currency of the cell.' This adenosine binds to specific receptors in the brain, leading to drowsiness. So the more adenosine build-up in your body, the more drowsy you feel.

If it's getting too technical, this will make it easier to understand. You must have noticed that when you wake up, you feel fresh and ready to take over the world, but by the time it is bedtime, you feel tired and sleepy. That is because adenosine levels are minimal when you wake up in the morning. As you go about your day, the adenosine starts accumulating in your bloodstream and binds to the receptors in the brain, signaling you to unwind and get a good night's rest.

Now what caffeine does is it fights with adenosine for the same adenosine receptor and blocks them, rendering these receptor sites unavailable. It basically makes you feel alert and awake by blocking the sleepiness signal, which is typically communicated through the adenosine molecule.

Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Caffeine is a popularly consumed beverage known for kicking in alertness; however, its effects are not limited to just that. It can benefit you in several other ways like:

Researchers say that caffeine can improve your concentration. It causes the production of dopamine, which is a neurochemical responsible for controlling the ability to focus and maintain concentration.

Coffee shows long-term effects on mental functions. Many studies suggest that caffeine improves cognitive performance.

Caffeine Improves Physical Performance