Can You Overdose on Caffeine?

Caffeine is a unique substance. Unlike most other stimulants and commonly abused drugs you can’t seriously harm your health by overdoing it. At least, that’s the perception.

In November, something happened to a British man that even the most seasoned caffeine fiend would have trouble grasping. He died of a caffeine overdose.

A medical autopsy revealed the 23-year-old had the consumed the caffeine equivalent of 70 energy drinks when he died. Rather than drinking coffee, soda or energy drinks, he decided to swallow spoonfuls of caffeine powder he purchased on the internet.

Previous case studies show consumption of around 10,000 mgs of caffeine can cause cardiac arrest leading to death.

To put things in perspective, a Starbucks venti (large) brewed black coffee contains only 415 mgs of caffeine. You would have to drink 24 large-sized coffees to reach the 10,000 mgs of caffeine that can alone cause a deadly overdose.

Past cases of such extreme caffeine consumption have led to severe symptoms including seizures, dangerously low blood pressure, severely abnormal heart rhythm and circulatory failure.

More often, deaths related to caffeine overconsumption are due to the combination of another substance, most commonly alcohol. Increasingly popular energy drinks containing alcohol have been linked to several high profile incidents, including the October 2010 hospitalization of nine students at a party at Central Washington University.

Case studies show that alcohol mixed with energy drinks leads to higher rates of intoxication. Authors explain that caffeine may alter the perception of alcohol intoxication. In other words, you feel less drunk than you actually are because of the caffeine, so you may continue to drink more.

When taken in moderation without other substances, caffeine is safe and can help alertness and mood. Caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep and can reduce the total sleep time and time in deep sleep. Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening to avoid disruptive effects on your sleep.

Caffeine & Alcohol: “Caffeinated Cocktails” in College

Campus life at college tends to involve poor sleep and sleep deprivation. Often caffeine and alcohol are a part of the problem.

Each substance by itself can be disruptive to sleep. Now a popular trend among college students is to combine the two together.

Some make their own “caffeinated cocktails” by mixing alcohol with high-caffeine energy drinks. Others simply buy caffeinated beer.

A 2007 study surveyed 496 college students. Results show that 54 percent of energy drink users consumed the drinks with alcohol while partying.

In 2008 more than 4,200 college students completed a Web-based survey. Results show that 24 percent of current drinkers reported mixing alcohol with energy drinks.

The belief is that caffeine blunts the negative effects of alcohol intoxication. But is this true?

In a study published last May rats were given rum mixed with a soft drink. The caffeine did not reduce the metabolic effects of alcohol.

In another recent study women consumed an energy drink with alcohol. The mixture had a negative effect on cognitive performance.

A 2006 study found that caffeine had no effect on the degree to which alcohol increased errors. But caffeine did reduce how people perceived their alcohol intoxication.

Earlier this week the FDA reported that it is going to look into the safety and legality of caffeinated alcoholic beverages. It notified 30 companies that make the drinks.

In the past year both Anheuser-Busch and Miller agreed to discontinue their caffeinated alcoholic beverages. They also agreed that they would not produce these drinks in the future.

Earlier this year the Sleep Education Blog reported that adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are using more sleeping pills. Some students also are taking “smart drugs” to improve their academic performance.

Caffeine & the Night Shift

A recent study examined the effect that consuming caffeine at night may have on daytime sleep.

The sleep of participants was monitored during a night in a sleep lab. Then they stayed awake in the lab for 25 hours. While awake they were given caffeine capsules. Then their sleep was monitored again as they slept during the day.

Results show that daytime sleep was worse after taking caffeine. Measures such as sleep efficiency and sleep duration were lower.

So does this mean that people who work the night shift should avoid caffeine? Not necessarily.

The participants were given caffeine late during the night. They took a 100-mg dose three hours before attempting to sleep during the day; they were given another 100-mg dose only one hour before daytime sleep.

The stimulating effect of caffeine can last for hours. So it’s no surprise that their sleep was affected.

But an AASM task force report concluded that your sleep is unlikely to be disrupted if you take caffeine at least eight hours earlier. And other studies show that caffeine helps improve the performance and alertness of night-shift workers.

A study in the journal Sleep in 2006 found that combining caffeine with an evening nap provided the greatest benefit. Before a simulated night shift, participants were given a nap opportunity at 7:30 p.m. Their average nap duration ranged from 73 to 99 minutes.

At about 10:30 p.m. they were given 4 mg/kg of caffeine. The authors reported that this dose has been shown to be effective without interfering with daytime sleep.

A 4 mg/kg dose means that you take 4 mg of caffeine for each kg of body weight. So the dose would be about 272 mg if you weigh 150 pounds, 318 mg if you weigh 175 pounds, and 363 mg if you weigh 200 pounds.

A second part of the study involved actual night-shift workers who took 300 mg of caffeine at the start of each night shift. It also found that caffeine and napping improved performance and reduced sleepiness.

On Tuesday the Sleep Education Blog reported that another option for night-shift workers is to follow a “compromise” sleep schedule.

Read about sleep & caffeine on SleepEducation.com to find out how much caffeine is in your coffee, soda or tea. Learn about shift work sleep disorder.

Bedtime Battles: Helping Children Get Good Sleep

It is 9 p.m.; you are ready for your kids to go to sleep, but are they?

As the school year begins, parents may find themselves struggling to defeat the technological temptations that keep children awake late at night.

Research shows that children who don’t get enough sleep are at higher risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Distractions like computers, T.V. and video games can keep children from getting the sleep they need to stay healthy.

A study presented in June at SLEEP shows that adolescents who use technology (cell phone, DVDs, or computer games) and drink caffeine at night struggle to stay awake and alert during the day.

Parents can help children get the sleep they need by changing their nighttime behavior. Limiting use of technology at night and developing a nightly bedtime routine can lead to better sleep. Although it can be difficult to say no to your children, it is important to set limits and enforce bedtime.

In May, the Sleep Education blog reported that using a bedtime routine for children between the ages of 7 months and 3 years helps them sleep better and improves their mother’s mood.

Experts recommend the following amounts of sleep for children:

• Infants (3 to 11 months): 14 to 15 hours
• Toddlers: 12 to 14 hours
• Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours
• School-age children: 10 to 11 hours

Parents can find tips to help their child sleep better at Sleep Education.com.

Wired: Technology, Caffeine Keeping Teens Awake at Night

Technology-savvy teens can excel at multi-tasking. They can send text messages, surf the Internet and watch their favorite TV show all at the same time.

But a new study shows that technology may be taking a toll on their sleep. Many teens are staying up too late and consuming too much caffeine. As a result, they’re not getting enough sleep to remain alert during the day.

The study involved students between the ages of 12 and 18 years. They reported how much time after 9 p.m. they use various technological devices.

WebMD reports that watching TV was the most common activity; 82 percent of participants watched TV after 9 p.m. Fifty-five percent reported being online; 44 percent reported talking on the phone; and 42 percent reported listening to an MP3 player. Other common activities were watching movies, text messaging and playing computer games.

Multi-tasking was high; teens used an average of four technological devices after 9 p.m. Teens who did more multi-tasking tended to drink more caffeine.

Only 20 percent of participants got eight to 10 hours of sleep per night; these teens tended to do less multi-tasking after 9 p.m.

Thirty-three percent of teens reported falling asleep in school. Students who fell asleep in class consumed 76 percent more caffeine.

The AASM reports that most teens need a little more than nine hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested during the day. But a shift in the timing of their body clock causes teens to feel sleepy later at night. This explains why it can be hard for them to fall asleep before 10 p.m.

The AASM recommends that parents keep the TV and computer out of their teen’s bedroom. Parents also should set a “communication curfew” at night; set a time after which your teen can no longer talk on the phone or send text messages, instant messages or e-mails.

Learn more about teens and sleep loss on SleepEducation.com. Parents can get more tips for teen bed times.

Sleep, Caffeine & the Starbucks Effect

Bloomberg.com reports that Starbucks stores are going to stop the continuous brewing of decaf coffee after 12 p.m. The move is part of an effort to save $400 million by September.

You’ll still be able to request a decaf coffee in the afternoon. But you’ll have to wait about four minutes for brewing time. The company reports that demand for decaf coffee in some of its stores tends to drop after noon.

This is likely due to the timing of the body’s sleep-wake pattern. A natural “dip” in alertness tends to occur in the afternoon. So it is tempting to rely on caffeine in the afternoon to fight off sleepiness.

Caffeine is a drug that is a quick-acting stimulant. It reaches a peak level in your blood in 30 to 60 minutes. But it also can stay in your system for hours. This may cause problems when you try to go to sleep at night.

A new review looked at studies of how caffeine affects your sleep. One study shows that people who don’t consume caffeine may sleep longer and have a better quality of sleep. Another study found that people may have less trouble falling asleep on days when they drink decaf coffee.

Choosing decaf is still likely to give you a small dose of caffeine. A study found that a Starbucks decaf espresso may have 3 mg to 15.8 mg of caffeine. A 16-ounce serving of a Starbucks decaf brewed coffee may have 12 mg to 13.4 mg of caffeine.

In contrast, Starbucks reports that a regular espresso may have about 75 mg of caffeine. But it’s the 16-ounce, “grande”-size Starbucks coffee that really tips the scales. It may have 330 mg of caffeine. Another study shows that this is the same caffeine content as six, 12-ounce cans of Mountain Dew. It’s also the same as two cans of an energy drink like No Fear.

Starbucks also reports that actual caffeine content can vary greatly. That’s exactly what another study found. Researchers bought a 16-oz cup of the same type of coffee from one coffee shop for six straight days. They found that the caffeine levels ranged widely from 259 mg to 564 mg.

So in the afternoon you may want to skip the coffee and choose a drink with a lower caffeine level instead. Try a soda or a cup of brewed tea. Better yet, avoid caffeine and take a quick 20-minute nap; a study shows this may be your best option for an afternoon boost.