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)?
In: 595
Focusing on the sleep side.
The US military has done multiple studies on the effects of sleep deprivation on service members, because it’s not uncommon for personnel in combat or other crisis situations to be unable to consistently get enough sleep. These include studies where they kept people awake with amphetamines or other drugs for multiple days.
In a fairly short period of time (less than a week) humans begin hallucinating and suffer other serious side effects from not having time to rest their brains. There is no drug or technique that can safely stave off sleep for long, so caffeine is simply a short term boost for daytime tiredness.
Also, caffeine isn’t 100% safe. There are cases of people having heart rhythm problems or other issues from energy drinks or the caffeine pills sold in some gas stations, or from the fake Molly sometimes sold in bars that’s really caffeine.
Latest Answers