Brosinova Caffeine Experiment

Consumption of caffeine has been found to disrupt sleep by reducing sleep time and sleep quality. Brezinova (1974) found that consuming caffeine before bedtime decreased total average sleep time, increased sleep onset time, and increased number of wake-ups. Six normal volunteers ages 50-63 years had their sleep habits recorded on fifteen non-consecutive nights, in which for five nights each they received decaffeinated coffee, caffeinated coffee, or no drink. Brezinova’s research showed that under the caffeine condition, subjects slept an average of two hours less than with no drink or decaffeinated coffee. They also had sleep onset latency on average of 66 minutes with caffeine, as compared to 18 minutes with no drink and 21 minutes with decaffeinated coffee. Finally, when taking coffee before bed, the subjects woke up on average four more times than in the other conditions. The investigator concluded that there were no significant findings between the no-drink control and decaffeinated coffee situations. Although the findings regarding caffeine and its effects on sleep patterns is important, it may …show more content…
Consuming an average of two cups of coffee per day can cause people to take longer to fall asleep, sleep for shorter periods of time, and report poor sleep quality. One study in particular sampled 40 healthy males aged 18-25 years who were self-reported as low to moderate caffeine consumers and were given either a caffeine pill or placebo pill at bedtime. Researchers then sampled their melatonin levels, which is a neurobiological timekeeping system involved in the sleep-wake process. The results showed caffeine effectively suppressed melatonin levels, which prolonged sleep onset time. Furthermore, it prevented a nighttime drop in body temperature, and so subject’s experienced body temperature levels similar to daytime