The Secret to Staying Awake
May 13, 2004(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Already going for that second cup of coffee? Researchers from Rush University Medical Center, Brigham Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School suggest you pace yourself.
According to their research, taking smaller doses of caffeine throughout the day are a more effective way to help you stay awake.
James Wyatt, Ph.D., lead author of the study, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says, "I hate to say it, but most of the population is using caffeine the wrong way by drinking a few mugs of coffee or tea in the morning, or three cups from their Starbucks' grande on the way to work. This means that caffeine levels in the brain will be falling as the day goes on."
Nearly 20 male participants were given either a placebo or a caffeine pill every hour after they woke up. The pill contained .3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, equivalent to two ounces of coffee, for every 2.2 pounds of body weight.
By progressively building up their caffeine levels, the subjects had fewer accidental sleep incidents and were able to perform better on cognitive tests.
However, those on caffeine did report feeling more tired than the placebo group proving that caffeine should not be a substitute for sleep when trying to rejuvenate the body.
SOURCE: Sleep, 2004;27
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