Feeling tired throughout the day can be tough, especially with a busy student schedule. Many people throughout the world turn to stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine to combat daytime sleepiness. Everything from the food we eat to stimulating substances such as caffeine and nicotine can have an effect on our wakefulness or sleepiness. In this module, we will address Caffeine and Nicotine, but check out our Food module for more info in regards to how what we eat affects sleep.
If you are someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out to the Alcohol and Drug Program at UCSB: https://adp.sa.ucsb.edu/home. They offer free counseling to students as well as workshops and support groups. For information on ADP contact: (805) 893-5013 or adp@sa.ucsb.edu.
Nicotine: Before exploring how nicotine can affect sleep, it is important to understand what nicotine is and why it can be harmful to you. Nicotine is a chemical that can be produced synthetically and also found naturally in many plants including tobacco. It is a stimulant drug that works to speed up messages being sent from the brain to the rest of the body. While nicotine is not carcinogenic on its own, it is a highly addictive substance. Those who ingest nicotine experience a feeling termed the “nicotine effect” where they feel a “kick” because of nicotine stimulating glands that release the hormone adrenaline which is associated with our “fight or flight mechanism” and is marked by an increase in glucose breakdown, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. Nicotine even decreases the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas in order to keep blood sugar levels high.
While nicotine is thought to be a safer alternative to carcinogenic tobacco, nicotine is still a hazardous chemical. Individuals that regularly smoke can experience withdrawal symptoms due to nicotine altering the number and shape of receptors in the brain. Once nicotine dependency develops, individuals must continuously use nicotine to maintain normal brain functionality. Previous studies have shown that nicotine is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal disorders, a decreased immune response after habitual use, and negative effects on reproductive health including impotency. Nicotine can adversely affect cell replication and increase DNA mutation rates which could indirectly lead to cancer.
What does all of this mean in regards to sleep? Because nicotine is a stimulant, using nicotine four hours before sleeping can lead to disruption of sleep patterns. In addition, as nicotine acts on neurotransmitters and receptors in the brain it can cause changes in both mood and sleep, causing long term insomnia and sleep fragmentation. Nicotine and tobacco users are also more likely to develop sleep apnea, a condition that is marked by periods of muscle relaxation in the throat that prevents breathing. A lot of these symptoms are masked by the harsher withdrawal symptoms that smokers face after not consuming nicotine, but they are still highly disruptive and serious. Habitual smokers can feel withdrawal symptoms during their sleep, causing them to wake up feeling anxious or agitated. Overall, nicotine has a detrimental effect on the sleep cycle.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about how to stop using nicotine, please speak to your healthcare physician or contact UCSB’s Alcohol and Drug Program for free and confidential counseling.
The Sleep Challenge Team would like to thank Jarguit Kolla from ADP for researching and writing about how nicotine affects sleep.
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Caffeine: What actually happens in your body when you drink that extra cup of coffee? Does caffeine actually give us energy? This complex stimulant can actually be quite confusing in its effects.
When you are tired and drink caffeine, you're not actually getting more energy but simply re-proportioning the limited energy you have. Caffeine attaches to adenosine (the sleep-inducing chemical) receptors in our brains. Adenosine naturally increases throughout the day and as sleep debt increases. When caffeine binds to adenosine receptors, it blocks our body's natural way of telling us we're tired. We get a boost in energy, but in reality, we are simply masking our sleep debt. Once the caffeine has worn off, the delayed effects all rush in at once, which is why we often crash after getting through a sleep-deprived day on caffeine.
When you consume stimulants, your brain sends a message to the pituitary gland (a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain), which releases a hormone that tells your adrenals to produce the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. If you only have the occasional cup of coffee, your body will be able to react capably to the stimulation. But if you are drinking several cups of caffeine each day, you may start to notice a weakened reaction. Some people might say that their ‘tolerance’ has increased, but the truth is, after long-term and repeated doses of caffeine, your adrenals are weakened and less able to respond adequately.
Researchers have found that caffeine consumption prior to sleep results in increased time in lighter sleep stages and less time in slow wave sleep (SWS), the latter being the highly restorative stage of sleep. When caffeine intake reached more than 8 cups per day, time asleep was reduced by 40 minutes! Even at moderate doses, it has been found that sleep onset was delayed, and daytime sleepiness was increased. (Clark & Landolt, 2017).
If you are taking caffeine to fight off the tiredness from sleep debt, you may find that resting with a midday nap, even 20 minutes, will help you feel refreshed.
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night or simply having difficulty falling asleep, consider whether caffeine intake might be playing a role. Keep in mind that caffeine is found not only in coffee and tea but also in soda, energy drinks, chocolate, and more!
For most people, caffeine too close to bedtime will interrupt sleep. A study published in 2013 analyzed the effects of caffeine on sleep by administering a fixed dose of caffeine 0, 3, and 6 hours before bed. Researchers found that caffeine taken 3 and 6 hours prior had a significant impact on sleep compared to the placebo. Although caffeine may affect people in different ways, the results of the study above suggest that most people should finish up their caffeine intake 6 hours before bedtime. If you continue to find that caffeine is negatively affecting your sleep, try stopping at noon. In some cases, it is necessary to stop caffeine altogether if you are particularly sensitive to its effects.
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