How Not to Fall Asleep: The Science of Caffeine
Picture this: you just woke up and you’re pulling yourself out of your bed and slowly walking towards the kitchen. You barely got any sleep last night as you were probably studying for that important test or cramming your homework. For whatever reason, you’re most likely feeling like you’re going to pass out and need something—anything—to stay awake. You grab yourself a cup and make some coffee, and after drinking it, you suddenly feel a burst of energy. Well, it may not be an instant surge, but it is just enough to get you through a whole day of school. That is the power of caffeine, but how does it magically keep you awake? Well, sit down, and grab yourself a cup of coffee, as we break down how caffeine enables your late-night study habits.
To properly explain how caffeine stops us from falling asleep, we need to find out what causes us to sleep in the first place. Our bodies need a constant supply of energy, which is acquired when we break down a high-energy molecule called Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). During the breakdown of ATP, an organic compound named adenosine is released. This organic compound then docks into tiny receptors that are shaped perfectly so they can fit adenosine. Think of the two as plugs where each part fits exactly into each other. Soon after, it activates a flurry of reactions that cause neurons and other brain-signaling molecules to slow down the activity in your brain, causing sleepiness.
Caffeine can be described as an antagonist in the journey of adenosine. It stops your neurons from slowing down by blocking the adenosine receptors. This is because caffeine and adenosine have a similar molecular structure, thus letting caffeine slide into the receptor without it activating.
Since the receptor doesn’t activate, the body doesn’t slow down your neurons, keeping your body feeling awake for a long period.
Although drinking caffeinated drinks lessens drowsiness, your body will still find ways to force itself to shut down. After your adenosine receptors get blocked, your body will adapt by creating more receptors so the organic compounds can still execute their function in the body. Due to this, if you want to stay awake for longer periods, you need to ingest more and more caffeine to block out those receptors.
While caffeine is undeniably essential to the lives of almost all students and adults, you shouldn’t just start drowning yourself in caffeinated beverages. After the publication of this article, we hope that there won’t be an influx of reports that some people are just drinking coffee or energy drinks non-stop. We should keep in mind that even though it’s almost a necessity for most students and adults, caffeinated drinks should be consumed in moderation like any other drink. Chugging down a lot of these beverages could have many negative side effects, such as increased heart rate, headaches, anxiety, and even sleeplessness. It’s important to keep your caffeine intake in mind and not overdo it because caffeine overdoses are a serious issue that affects a lot of people. As long as you consume it in moderation, caffeine can be really helpful when you need to finish those pressing assignments that need to be done. Speaking of assignments, you probably have one due right now, so take a sip of coffee ☕ and stop procrastinating.
Sources:
How does caffeine keep us awake? - Hanan Qasim
https://www.britannica.com/science/organic-compound
Physiology, Adenosine Triphosphate - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.
