If you sleep poorly, it is better not to drink coffee in the evening and it is also better to skip that drink before going to bed. At least that’s what we thought. And that is also the case with the drinks separately, but the combination may actually work quite well, or at least less badly.
Until that conclusion come American researchers from the University of Washington, who investigated a group of stock traders in New York. Due to their stressful job, they are more likely to turn to substances such as alcohol and caffeine than others, as has been previously researched. They use the combination of the two substances as self-medication to sleep better. Alcohol is a narcotic, or a downer, just like tranquilizers, cannabis or morphine. Caffeine is a stimulant, an upper, just like nicotine or cocaine. The question now was: does it also work to sleep better? The answer: it seems so. Alcohol in the evening makes you sleepy and inhibits the effect of the previously consumed caffeine.
Stimulate and calm
“In our study we found an intriguing interaction between the effects of caffeine and alcohol on the body and mind,” says lead researcher Frank Song of the University of Washington On Scientias.nl. “The sedative effect of alcohol consumption in the evening appears to reduce the adverse impact of caffeine on sleep quality. This does not mean that a combination of caffeine and alcohol has a positive influence on the quality of sleep, but it does show that both substances can be used side by side to dampen the stimulating and sedative effects when they are unwanted. .”
The psychologist thinks that this type of self-medication is very common among people with a stressful job and lifestyle. “I expect that this type of behavior is much more common among people with stressful jobs and not just among stock traders like the ones we studied. We have chosen this professional group because it is known for its high workload and stress. Stock market trading requires high speed and good concentration to succeed. The downside of the work is that there are also relatively many anxiety and stress problems within the profession.”
Mismatch
Reason why traders turn to alcohol and caffeine, but that is not the solution, the researcher warns. “Caffeine, alcohol or a combination of both are not miracle cures for a good night’s sleep. I therefore hope that such a sleeping aid will not be produced.” For example, stock market traders slept shorter. “On average, caffeine use led to a shorter night’s sleep among the test subjects, but they felt well rested. This suggests a mismatch in the user’s perception, causing caffeine consumption to continue despite its negative effects on sleep,” Song explains.
The stock traders who participated in the study were followed for six weeks. “We examined the quality and length of sleep, as well as alcohol and caffeine consumption. The participants completed a questionnaire about this every day for six weeks. Then we analyzed this data,” said Song.
Surprised by the results
He had not at all expected the positive interaction between alcohol consumption in the evening and caffeine consumption during the day. It is still unclear how good the sleep quality is as a result of the combined substance use. Follow-up research may look into this. Song is also curious about the long-term effects of joint use of the substances.
“Our findings highlight the broader consequences of alcohol and caffeine consumption and the combination of the two. In particular, the changing state of consciousness, sleep quality, amount of sleep, the performance-reducing effects and economic costs of this for companies and society. By minimizing alcohol consumption, people can improve their sleep quality and sleep duration. This ultimately leads to a boost in health, especially among professionals,” Song concludes.
2023-11-12 18:02:47
#Caffeine #alcohol #individually #bad #sleep #combination #work #favor
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