Have you ever found yourself tossing and turning at night, and cursing that evening cup of coffee you knew you shouldn’t indulge in? For many people, drinking caffeinated beverages after a certain hour is a certain recipe for insomnia. People tend to figure out their own limits and timeframes, but a study from the journal Sleep Medicine says that categorizing population as either morning people or night owls can shed light on who can sleep unaffected by caffeine consumption. Knoxville dentist, Dr. Jim Erpenbach, warns you to be mindful of your caffeine intake, especially if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Early Risers Need to Limit the Lattes

The caffeine consumption of 50 college students was recorded in the study led by Jamie Zeitzer, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. This is the first study of this type to focus on categorizing people by the time they are more active and alert. While the findings are preliminary, data showed that late risers who consume caffeine during the day slept soundly, regardless of the amount or time of day the caffeinated beverage or supplement was consumed.

Details of the Caffeine Study

Students in the study were fitted with wrist monitors that recorded their movements in order to assess periods of wakefulness while they slept. Caffeine levels in the students were measured through saliva samples. College students have a tendency to subscribe to sleep deprivation by nature, anyway, but early risers with high amounts of caffeine in their systems spent more time awake throughout the night. Since coffee or other caffeinated beverages can still be in the system for many hours after consumption, experts suggest sticking to decaf after lunch hours to be on the safe side.

Visit your Knoxville Dentist

If sleep issues are affecting your quality of life, you could be experiencing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea is when the soft tissues in your neck and throat obstruct your airways during the relaxed state of sleep. People that suffer with OSA experience arousal episodes of suddenly waking up as many as 100s of times every night, but these issues are sometimes easily alleviated with a customized mouthguard. To schedule an appointment, contact our Knoxville dentist office at 865-240-2035. We are proud to provide comprehensive dentistry to patients in West Knoxville, the Bearden area, the 37919 zip code, and surrounding neighborhoods.