I work overnight shifts (11pm-7am) and take caffeine pills to stay awake. When I get home, even if I take more caffeine I’m sometimes still too tired and fall asleep. Why does it eventually stop working? Is there some sort of chemical limit? Why can’t caffeine replace sleep for longer periods of time (like days on end)?
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Caffeine makes you more alert, active and energetic by binding to adenosine receptors which slow down nerve activiity and prepare you to sleep. Your body is used to the amount of caffeine you normally take so to feel the same effect you did, you have to up the dosage, but your body will adjust to the higher dosage, so you’ll have to up the dosage again. It’s a vicious cycle. Caffeine can’t replace sleep because caffeine isn’t a reset switch like sleep is.
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