Ordinary custom is keeping your brain awake while sleeping

Late night movement is not the only thing that sabothes your drama.

New research suggests that a common daily habit can send your brain to overload while sleeping – even if you do it a few hours before bedtime.

Scientists warn that disruption can interfere with the recovery processes overnight on the brain, taking a large number for your cognitive health.

In the study, Canadian researchers had 40 healthy adults to spend two non -consecutive nights in a sleeping lab.

One night, participants consumed 200 milligrams of caffeine – the equivalent of about two cups of coffee – a few hours before bed. On the other hand, they were given a placebo.

While most people know that caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep, researchers used EEG scans to follow brain activity after participants left and found that they kept their brain in a smart state of readiness long after closing their eyes.

They first discovered that the stimulant pushed the brain into a state of “criticism”, making it smart, alert and reactive than it should be while capturing ZZZ.

“While this is useful during the day for concentration, this condition can interfere with the rest at night: the brain would not rest or heal properly,” said Dr. Julie Carrier, a professor of psychology at the University of Montreal and co -author of study.

The team used artificial intelligence to detect subtle changes in neuronal activity and found that caffeine increased the complexity of brain signals, preventing the brain not fully strengthened during sleep.

The effect was particularly strong during non-removal sleeping critical sleep for cognitive memory and recovery.

Researchers also observed changes in brain wave models. Slow waves associated with the deep, restorative part decreased, while the fastest waves associated with awakening and mental activity increased.

“These changes suggest that even during sleep, the brain remains in a more activated, less restorative condition under the influence of caffeine,” said Dr. Karim Jerbi, a professor of psychology at the University of Montreal and a researcher at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence of Mila Quebec, who co -authored the study.

“This change in rhythmic brain activity can help explain why caffeine affects the efficiency with which the brain recovers at night, with possible consequences for memory processing,” he added.

In particular, the stimulant effect was much more pronounced in participants aged 20 to 27 compared to those aged 41 to 58 – especially during Rem sleep, the dream phase associated with emotional processing and cognitive.

Researchers believe that young adults responded more strongly due to more adenosine receptors. These molecules gradually accumulate in the brain throughout the day, causing fatigue.

“Adenosine receptors naturally decrease with age, reducing the ability of caffeine to block them and improve brain complexity, which can partially explain the reduced effect of caffeine observed on middle -aged participants,” Carrier said.

The findings suggest that the new brain may be particularly susceptible to the hidden impact of caffeine on rest.

Caffeine is the world’s most consumed psychactive remedy, commonly found in products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, soda and energy drinks.

A 2023 sleeping foundation found that 94% of US adults consume caffeine drinks, and 64% drink them daily. Of these, 40% said they did not think it affected their sleep.

While FDA says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is generally safe for healthy adults, the study suggests that it can still interfere with sleep quality – even a few hours after your last funnel.

Scientists are calling for further research by exploring how these night brain changes affect daily functioning and cognitive health. This, they said, can form a day of personalized caffeine recommendations.