The July issue of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published research demonstrating that high sugar, high caffeine drinks tend to cause SLOWER reaction times and more lapses in concentration than drinking a no sugar, no caffeine drink.
This may come as a surprise to those of you who feel that sugar and caffeine boost your energy and helps you concentrate.
In this study, 10 volunteers slept five hours less than normal before participating in the study.
After eating a light lunch, they were given either an energy drink (defined as having 30mg of caffeine and 42g of sugar) or an identical tasting no-sugar drink.
They were then asked to perform a rote 90 minute test during the afternoon. They were monitored for their level of sleepiness and ability to concentrate.
For the first half hour (30 minutes), there was no difference in the two groups. At 50 minutes after consuming the drinks, the performance of the “energy drink” group started to decline, and they became significantly sleepier.
Other research has demonstrated that high caffeine drinks can boost concentration- for some people.
The findings of this particular study suggest that sugar and caffeine combined is not an effective long-term strategy to combat sleepiness. A better solution, according to the researchers, would be to have a no sugar, caffeinated drink, and a short nap.
Filed under Sleep by 
The July issue of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published research demonstrating that high sugar, high caffeine drinks tend to cause SLOWER reaction times and more lapses in concentration than drinking a no sugar, no caffeine drink.
This may come as a surprise to those of you who feel that sugar and caffeine boost your energy and helps you concentrate.
In this study, 10 volunteers slept five hours less than normal before participating in the study.
After eating a light lunch, they were given either an energy drink (defined as having 30mg of caffeine and 42g of sugar) or an identical tasting no-sugar drink.
They were then asked to perform a rote 90 minute test during the afternoon. They were monitored for their level of sleepiness and ability to concentrate.
For the first half hour (30 minutes), there was no difference in the two groups. At 50 minutes after consuming the drinks, the performance of the “energy drink” group started to decline, and they became significantly sleepier.
Other research has demonstrated that high caffeine drinks can boost concentration- for some people.
The findings of this particular study suggest that sugar and caffeine combined is not an effective long-term strategy to combat sleepiness. A better solution, according to the researchers, would be to have a no sugar, caffeinated drink, and a short nap.
You probably know the reasons to get enough sleep; getting enough sleep has direct positive impacts on your quality of life (you feel energetic and happy) and on your overall well-being (it’s hard to be unhappy when you feel good).
According to a 2002 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, over 80% of Americans agree that not getting enough sleep leads to difficulty getting along with others, increased risk of injury, and decreased performance at work. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to complete tasks, makes it difficult to concentrate, and increases the risk of making poor decisions and having poor reaction times (which can lead to driving accidents, for example).
Current numbers indicate that sleep deprivation is the cause of more than 100,000 vehicle crashes per year, resulting in 1500 deaths per year.
So what’s one way to make sure you get enough sleep? Plan your life so that you can sleep enough to wake up without an alarm clock. If you need your alarm clock to wake you, it means you need more sleep than you’ve gotten that night.
Our needs for sleep change and fluctuate, so what worked well one year may not follow into the next. If you’re feeling tired, irritable, and stressed out, this will reflect in your skin. Tiredness can make you look older, contributes to dark circles under your eyes, and can reduce the health and infection-fighting ability of your skin.
If you need more sleep, make a plan to get it. Your health (and skin!) will thank you.
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