The Caffeine/Alcohol Cycle Impairs Sleep
Two of the most widely used substances are alcohol and caffeine. In 2016, the global average consumption for people 16 and older equated to 5.5 cups of coffee and 1 liter of alcohol per week.
Research has shown that alcohol interferes with sleep by reducing the amount of REM sleep and by causing people to wake in the middle of the night. Caffeine interferes with sleep by making it harder to fall asleep and reducing the amount of sleep.
The current study examined alcohol and caffeine use in financial traders, a group known to consume both substances regularly. A cohort of 17 male financial traders, age 23-44 years, working for the same New York firm, completed daily online surveys regarding alcohol and caffeine use, and their sleep quality and duration from the previous day.
Researchers found:
Increased caffeine reduced the duration of participant’s sleep;
Increased alcohol decreased sleep quality by increasing nighttime waking and reducing REM sleep;
Nighttime use of alcohol partially blunted the stimulating properties of daytime caffeine use, and caffeine reduced alcohol-induced mental fatigue, creating a self-medication cycle of using caffeine to increase wakefulness and alcohol to offset the negative impacts of caffeine on capacity to sleep; and
The caffeine/alcohol cycle masked the negative sleep impacts of both substances for participants, meaning they suffered the negative impacts on sleep quality and duration, but they were less aware of them.
Takeaway: If you regularly use alcohol in the evening and caffeine in the daytime, you may be experiencing an interaction of these substances that negatively impacts the number of hours you sleep and that harms the quality of your REM sleep cycles. Memory is consolidated during REM sleep cycles, so in addition to running low on sleep, you may also be impairing your memory.
Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.
Source
Frank Song and Matthew P. Walker, Sleep, Alcohol, and Caffeine in Financial Traders, PLOS One, Nov. 8, 2023, Sleep, alcohol, and caffeine in financial traders | PLOS ONE.
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