While the rest of the world runs full speed, we still live in a very primitive body, within which resides a biological clock that influences the activity of every single cell. Blood sugar, hormone levels, metabolic rates, body temperature, sodium/potassium levels, and immune function are just a few of the things directly linked to the body's internal clock. Altering your biological clock can have a drastic impact on your health.
Poor sleeping habits can have a direct influence, not only on the quality, but also on the length of your life. There is a direct link between sleep and problems like heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections, ulcers, indigestion, muscular pain, strokes, asthma, headaches, and even fatal car crashes. Our own National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that over 100,000 automobile crashes each year are related to drowsy driving. Even more shocking are their latest figures showing that traffic accidents caused by drowsy driving now kill more young people than alcohol-related accidents.
The Hazards of Low Melatonin
Most people know that melatonin levels begin to rise a couple of hours before bedtime, helping to bring on sleep. They continue to rise until they peak, usually between 2 and 4 a.m. Then they gradually fall as we get closer to awakening.
But most people don't know that adequate levels of melatonin are not just related to healthful sleep patterns. They have also been associated with a decreased risk of certain forms of cancer, particularly breast cancer. Lower levels of melatonin have also been linked to bulimia, depression, fibromyalgia, nerve pain (neuralgia), and possibly prostate cancer, insulin resistance, and glucose tolerance. (Current Top Med Chem 02;2(2):113-32) (Maturitas 02;4 I Suppl 1:85-104)
How Does Coffee Affect Melatonin
Researchers at the Sapir Medical Center in Tel Aviv have been studying the effects of melatonin and sleep patterns. In one study, researchers found that the caffeine in coffee blocks the production of the enzyme N-acetyltransferase, which is needed for the production of melatonin.
Most coffee-drinkers know that drinking coffee too close to bedtime can make getting to sleep more difficult. But the fact that the caffeine lowers melatonin levels sheds a whole new light on the subject. Especially when coffee isn't the only drink that contains caffeine.
Dr. Shilo had one group drink a cup of regular coffee and another group drink a cup of decaf. Those who drank regular coffee slept an average of 336 minutes compared to 415 minutes in the decaf group. Also, when compared to the decaf drinkers, those drinking regular coffee took twice as long to fall asleep and were twice as restless when sleeping. Based on urine samples taken every three hours, the researchers discovered that melatonin levels in the regular coffee drinkers were only half those of the decaf drinkers. (New Sci 4/20,02;18)
As a stimulant, caffeine speeds up the action of not only the nervous system, but of other major body systems as well. Within 15 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee, the level of adrenaline in your blood rises, which triggers an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, urinary output, and production of stomach acids. Basically, caffeine's effects are the reverse of what you want to happen as you go to sleep.
Typically, regularly brewed coffee contains about 135 mg of caffeine per cup, decaf about 5 mg. Below are listed some other common drinks and their caffeine content. I have not listed the prescription and over-the-counter medications containing caffeine. Caffeine is a fairly common ingredient, especially in pain medications. Two tablets of Excedrin, for example, contain 130 mg of caffeine, almost the same amount as a cup of coffee. (If you have trouble sleeping, you might want to check the label of any medications you're taking -- even non-prescription ones.)
Log in to read the rest of this article addressing the related topics below:
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