The dynamic relationship between daily caffeine intake and sleep duration in middle‐aged and older adults

Abstract

Insufficient sleep duration has become a growing health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis (Liu et al., 2014). Research has shown that there is an inverse relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep duration (e.g., Bonnar & Gradisar, 2015; Hicks, Hicks, Reyes, & Cheers, 1983; Hollingworth, 1912; etc.). Caffeine is also believed to prolong sleep latency, reduce sleep efficiency and worsen perceived sleep quality (Clark & Landolt, 2017), whereas caffeine abstinence has been demonstrated to be effective in improving sleep quality (Sin, Ho, & Chung, 2009). The caffeine and sleep relationship also has biologic bases in the brain. It is widely accepted that adenosine receptor agonists promote sleep and caffeine antagonizes adenosine receptors, thereby inhibiting adenosine's sleep

The Association between Caffeine Consumption from Coffee and Tea and Sleep Health in Male and Female Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Although caffeine consumption has been linked to sleep disturbances, shorter sleep duration, and poorer perceived sleep quality in healthy adults [ 34 ], we did not observe this association in a representative sample of community-dwelling older males and females in The Netherlands. Our results are consistent with a previous observational study in middle-aged and older adults that found no association between self-reported caffeine consumption and sleep duration measured using actigraphy [ 38 ]. Most other studies evaluated caffeine intake from coffee consumption only [ 36 , 37 , 39 ], which may have led to a misclassification of subjects and an underestimation of associations.…”

“…Controlled laboratory experiments and observational studies in adults have indicated that caffeine consumption can prolong sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep after going to bed) and reduce sleep duration, efficiency (defined as the ratio of total sleep time to time spent in bed), and perceived sleep quality [ 34 , 35 ]. However, few studies have examined the relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep health in older adults [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], despite the high prevalence of sleep disturbances and disorders in this population.…”

“…Two cross-sectional studies found an association between higher caffeine consumption and shorter self-reported sleep duration [ 36 , 37 ]. In contrast, another cross-sectional study of 337 middle-aged and older adults found no association between caffeine consumption and sleep duration as measured using actigraphy [ 38 ]. The association between caffeine consumption and sleep quality in older adults is also inconsistent.…”

Associations between objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and time in bed among 75+ community-dwelling Danish older adults

“…In order to achieve this goal, clinicians can recommend evidence-based strategies to older adults for promoting adequate TIB and improving sleep quality. For example, listening to soft music at bedtime [38], reducing caffeine intake and being aware that older adults may be more sensitive to caffeine compared to younger adults [39,40], evening light exposure [41] and light therapy [42]. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to explore the causal relationship between physical activity, time in bed, and sleep duration.…”