Are You Drinking too Much Coffee?
By Sara Butler
Coffee has a place, and it’s not really unhealthy for you if you drink it in moderation. In fact, coffee has some really good health perks such as decreasing the chance of developing dementia or increasing longevity. The problem when it comes to coffee is that more is not necessarily better. But what does it mean to drink coffee moderately? Here are a few ways you might be able to tell if you’re drinking too much coffee every day!
You’re Amped Up
Coffee stimulates your central nervous system, which is why people use it as a way to get perkier in the morning. But it also blocks receptors for something called adenosine while at the same time stimulating the release of adrenaline, glutamate, and dopamine. These can activate your fight or flight reaction and cause increased heart rate, irritability, jitters and even outbursts of anger. If this sounds familiar, then you’re having too much coffee. You may want to consider switching to decaffeinated coffee, which doesn’t completely lack caffeine, and see if it makes a difference for you.
You Crash
Sure, coffee is a pick-me-up, but what goes up has to come down, it’s simply physics! That means when your coffee wears off you’ll go from being wired to tired fast. Coffee has actually been linked in some studies to reduced productivity in workers, all due to this after-the-coffee crash. If you’re depending on your caffeine fix to get you through your day, there are healthier ways to accomplish this. You should eat food that will provide you with sustained energy and fuel for your body, too.
Your Eyes Twitch
If you’ve ever been working quietly at your desk and all of the sudden you have an eye twitch, then it might just be your coffee. The National Institutes of Health say that caffeine is one of the leading causes of eye twitches since it triggers the release of noradrenaline and serotonin, which increase reactivity in your muscles and nerves.
Your Sleep is Whacked
Do you find sleep is hard to come by? Well, your coffee habit may just be to blame since it makes it more difficult for you to fall asleep and have good quality sleep, too. Sleep is critical to your overall health and wellness, so if you feel like you struggle with sleep, examine your coffee intake to see if it’s a part of the problem.