par Lauren Soukiassian
If we know the café for its energizing properties, it is however possible that it has the opposite effect on you. How to explain it?
Neurologist Annick Verstappen explained to our HLN colleagues that coffee can produce a fatigue effect, while we generally use this drink to get a boost. How is it possible ?
Why your coffee can make you sleepy
“It is among other things the effect of caffeine on sleep pressure,” explains neurologist Annick Verstappen. “As soon as you wake up, sleep pressure sets in in the body. This makes it possible to be tired at night and fall asleep easily. To create this sleep pressure, you need to do activities, like exercise , think, or cook. The more activities you do, the more adenosine, a chemical, is released from our cells.”
Drinking coffee, on the other hand, can disrupt this action. “Indeed, the active ingredient caffeine can also bind to the same receptors in the brain. It also temporarily blocks the action of adenosine, which prevents sleep pressure from building up and gives you the impression of being more awake”. So far so good. She then explains that the caffeine and its effect actually wear off over time. Sleep pressure therefore increases once more, which leads to sudden fatigue.
In addition, it is very easy to get used to caffeine: a person who drinks 6 coffees a day will be used to its effect, the sensation of awakening supposed to be produced will then be much less intense or even non-existent.
The board ? Only drink coffee when you really need it, not out of habit, otherwise your body will get used to the caffeine and it will no longer produce the stimulating effect you are looking for.
