If you re reading a magazine on your break at work, there s a good chance you re also drinking a cup of coffee. Or maybe you re sipping a cup of tea, downing a soda or gulping down some other caffeinated beverage. After a cup of coffee, you re less likely to accidentally nod off, you may find it easier to concentrate, and your mood probably improves. Research has confirmed that caffeine s stimulating effect is real. Those who got caffeine were still doing better after 7 a.m.
Caffeine is a long-acting drug.
Caffeine s half-life is three to five hours, meaning it is still active in your body long after you ve had your last caffeinated drink of the day. Caffeine disrupts sleep. Immediately after you ingest caffeine it becomes much harder to fall asleep. If you drink coffee toward the end of your shift, you may have trouble falling asleep when you get home, and the quality of your sleep may also suffer. Also, caffeine is both a diuretic and laxative, so it increases the chances that you ll get up to use the bathroom.