Caffeine Has a Weird Effect On Your Brain While You're Asleep (sciencealert.com) 18
A new study "adds a whole extra level of detail to our understanding of caffeine's impact on the brain during sleep," reports ScienceAlert:
Caffeine was shown to increase brain signal complexity, and shift the brain closer to a state of 'criticality', in tests run by researchers from the University of Montreal in Canada. This criticality refers to the brain being balanced between structure and flexibility, thought to be the most efficient state for processing information, learning, and making decisions. However, this state might prevent restful sleep, the researchers suggest. The caffeine isn't just keeping us alert, but actually changing how the brain is operating. What's more, they found younger adults aged 20 to 27 were more greatly affected in this way...
When it comes to the different reactions across different ages, the researchers suggest that changes in the brain as we age might be responsible. Adenosine molecules gradually build up in the brain during the day, leading to a greater feeling of fatigue as bedtime approaches. Caffeine works by blocking the receptors that adenosine interacts with, giving us a temporary jolt of energy. Adenosine receptors are more abundant in younger brains, which may explain why younger people seem to be more sensitive to caffeine's powers. That includes both the positive energizing effects, and the negative effects of keeping the brain too active overnight.
When it comes to the different reactions across different ages, the researchers suggest that changes in the brain as we age might be responsible. Adenosine molecules gradually build up in the brain during the day, leading to a greater feeling of fatigue as bedtime approaches. Caffeine works by blocking the receptors that adenosine interacts with, giving us a temporary jolt of energy. Adenosine receptors are more abundant in younger brains, which may explain why younger people seem to be more sensitive to caffeine's powers. That includes both the positive energizing effects, and the negative effects of keeping the brain too active overnight.
Why was this headline red? (Score:1)
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Why was the title background red?
too much caffeine?
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too much caffeine?
No such thing as "too much coffee".
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Probably because Ctrl-Shift-V and Ctrl-V would be reversed in a sane GUI world.
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Is that a joke based on reading the article? You should know that never happens around here... Or maybe not, looking at the UID.
However the story has big potential for funny, so I'll check for details at 11.
Anecdotal evidence: In my dotage I often take a morning nap and it doesn't seem to affect me whether or not I drink coffee with breakfast. But I may have some kind of REM sleep disorder...
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Yeah it's been like that since 1999 or whenever Slashdot came on-line.
tl;dnr summary (Score:5, Interesting)
So the study discovered ... (Score:5, Insightful)
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So the study discovered that caffeine can help you avoid sleepiness and stay awake? Good to know. :-)
no you're wrong as always.
Nope, I only stated the first of the two obvious things the study "discovered". And that first part remains.
the study shows caffeine makes your brain behave more like when you're awake even when you're asleep.
The second obvious part that I did not bother stating was that caffeine reduces the quality of your sleep. Both of these things known for millennia.
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Both of these things known for millennia.
There's a difference between knowing what, and knowing why. You may know what, but scientists are more curious than that. Since the invention of the concept of the colour blue we have known that the sky is blue. But knowing that the reason was Rayleigh Scattering was something that came thousands of years later and led to many advancements in physics.
The "we've known this already" response to science is a demonstration of the stupification of mankind.
I believe it (Score:2)
It sucks because although I can find good caffeine free diet soda you can't find really good caffeine free coffee. The best I can get is something that's mediocre.
Some explanation may be in order (Score:2)
"which may explain why younger people seem to be more sensitive to caffeine's powers."
Ehhh... in my experience, this is completely wrong. It's older people who may have to avoid caffeine entirely or stop ingesting it at least four hours before bedtime. Perhaps I've just had unusual experiences but, ...
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Same here. After dinner coffee? Not a good idea anymore.
Ornithohistory (Score:4, Funny)
The first inkling that the birds were on the rise again came when the mammals started throwing away their paper cups everywhere, always stained with trace amounts of the illegal brown substance that caused so much trouble the last time.
Within 10 years, the more dangerous avians noticed and evolved the capability to open trash bins [abc.net.au] autonomously. It took 10 more years after that, for them to explore and catalogue the bins fully, looking for other psychedelic substances. This is what enabled the Old Enemy to regain Technological Level 1 civilization status undetected. Within 25 more years, all over the planet, the outclassed mammal custodians had been all but subjugated, and relegated once again, to food provision duties.
The Bird Empire reached Technological Level 2 status within another 12 years, rising from the ashes that had almost ended it 65 million years earlier, when our elite Elephant Troops heroically rained footfalls onto their planet. It was thought they had destroyed all the illegal caffeine factories then, and with them, the wider threat to the galaxy. We were wrong. This time, the war would last 200 light years and the relativistic effects alone have been felt ever since...