Latest news with #DrLeahKaylor
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can't fall asleep quickly? These 7 unexpected sources of caffeine in your diet may be to blame
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Everyone knows caffeine is bad for your sleep, which is why pre-bed espressos aren't advised. However, avoiding coffee doesn't mean you've cut out caffeine — unexpected caffeine sources have a way of sneakily sabotaging your rest. So what else in your daily routine contains caffeine? As it turns out, rather a lot. Green teas and matcha teas are both caffeine sources, while a pre-workout supplement can equal a jug of coffee in terms of caffeine. When speaking to Dr Leah Kaylor, psychologist and sleep expert, about cortisol addiction, she pointed out that 'sneaky sources of caffeine' can keep your brain alert, even as you're preparing for bed. "Caffeine is truly insidious," she explains. "It has a way of creeping into your daily diet from places you might never expect." Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that increases alertness and can even improve your reaction times. The downside is that caffeine can last in the body long after consumption. With a half life of roughly five hours, caffeine ingested in the afternoon is often still flowing through your system by the time you go to bed. "Caffeine's stimulatory effects can significantly delay your ability to fall asleep," explains Dr. Kaylor. "By blocking adenosine, caffeine keeps your brain in a state of heightened alertness, even when your body is signaling that it's time to rest." Research also indicates caffeine keeps your brain active during sleep. As a result, you won't be experiencing the deep rest you need and even after full night dozing you can wake up feeling groggy. Keeping on top of your caffeine consumption can help you avoid these negative effects. But to do that, you need to be aware of where the caffeine is coming from. "Coffee and energy drinks are the obvious culprits," says Dr. Kaylor, "but caffeine is woven into so many foods, beverages, and even health products that it's easy to lose track of how much you're consuming" Black and green tea both come from the same plant — Camellia sinensis — which is a source of caffeine. White tea and oolong tea also both come from the Camellia sinensis and therefore both contain caffeine. These drinks are often recommended as soothing alternatives to coffee and while even black tea does contain less caffeine than an equivalent cup of coffee (and green tea less again), they can still disrupt your sleep. An 8oz serving of black tea contains roughly 45-80mg of caffeine. This also applies to ice teas, which often are made using black tea (and plenty of sugar, in many cases.) Matcha is another drink derived from Camellia sinensis, although in this case the leaves are ground into a fine powder. An 8oz serving of matcha tea contains around 70mg of caffeine. Another tea-based drink you might not have realized contains caffeine is kombucha. Camellia sinensis is once again the culprit, but the overall caffeine content of kombucha is lower than an equivalent cup of black tea. Finally, while yerba mate doesn't come from Camellia sinensis (it's Ilex paraguariensis) it does still contain caffeine. Another source to look out for. Chocolate comes from cacao beans and cacao beans contain caffeine. According to the CDC, a tablespoon of dry, unsweetened cocoa powder contains around 12.4mg of caffeine. The higher the percentage of cacao used in the chocolate, the most caffeine it contains — dark chocolate is more likely to keep you up than white chocolate. This includes foods and drinks containing chocolate, like hot cocoa (a favorite soothing pre-bed treat) or children's breakfast cereals. Cacao nibs, a popular superfood, also contain caffeine. So pay attention to what you're snacking on before bed. Caffeine can help active ingredients in pain killers get to work and is often included in over the counter pain relief. A single pill could potentially contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Of course, there are many reasons why you might be unable to cut pain medication out of your life (and sleeping with pain can be harder than drifting off after a nighttime espresso.) If you do regularly take medication containing caffeine, however, you might want to look for other areas in which you can cut down your intake or adjust the timing of your medication. "One particularly sneaky source of caffeine that often flies under the radar is pre-workout supplements," says Dr. Kaylor. "Marketed as performance enhancers, these powders or drinks are popular among fitness enthusiasts, but here's the catch — most pre-workout supplements are loaded with caffeine." These supplements aren't regulated by the FDA and can sometimes contain as much as 387mg of caffeine per serve, equal to multiple cups of coffee. Pre-workout snack bars can also contain caffeine, although rarely at the high levels of a supplement. One ingredient to look out for in your snack bar is guarana. This popular superfood actually contains more caffeine than coffee and is sometimes used in health bars. Yes, even your water might contain caffeine, although most standard bottled waters are free from any additives. However, flavored waters sometimes contain caffeine, as can waters promising additional, health-boosting effects. Check the label closely to ensure your water is just water. It's not a surprise to learn that soda is a source of caffeine, both the diet and regular type (you can get caffeine-free sodas.) And, of course, energy drinks — but you probably expected an energy drink to give you energy. Most of us assume that, based on the name, decaf coffee is completely caffeine free. However, the decaffeination process only removes around 97% of caffeine from your coffee beans. That's a significantly lower amount than regular coffee but it's still worth noting, particularly if you're sensitive to caffeine and assumed your evening decaf would have no impact. This also applies to decaffeinated teas (that's tea that has had the caffeine removed, not caffeine free teas such as fruit or herbal teas.) To sleep better you don't have to stay away from caffeine entirely (considering how many things contain caffeine, it can prove a tricky ask.) However, cutting down consumption and avoiding caffeine post-midday can help you sleep. A few simple diet changes can also help you enjoy a restful night, with recent research suggesting eating more fruit and veg can have an immediate impact on sleep. Eating plenty of protein can also benefit sleep, according to a new study. Otherwise, look for foods that contain sleep-inducing melatonin, such as peppers and seeds, while magnesium-rich nuts are also good for your kip.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Clever Coffee Hack Brain Experts Swear By for Better Focus and Energy
The Clever Coffee Hack Brain Experts Swear By for Better Focus and Energy originally appeared on Parade. If you start your morning with a cup of coffee or tea to wake yourself up, you aren't alone: 85% of people in the United States have some form of caffeine every single day, and out of that, 70% of us consume it in the a.m. that actually isn't a great idea, psychologist and sleep expert Dr. Leah Kaylor, Ph.D, MSCP, tells Parade."Drinking caffeine right after waking can interfere with your natural cortisol cycle," she explained. "It's like revving an engine that is already in overdrive."And you know what you're at risk for if you do that? A crash! (Or, at least a trip to a metaphorical mechanic.) If you rely on caffeine for energy and focus, there are ways to use it even more effectively. Find out what neuroscientists and neurologists say about how to use your daily cup of joe (or oolong!) to maximize the brain benefits—and maybe even wrap up your work early so you can actually relax once it wears off.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 First things first: How exactly do coffee, tea, energy drinks or other caffeine sources impact us overall?"Caffeine can temporarily increase alertness, help concentration and improve mood. It can also help in pain relief," , assistant professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, biomedical engineering, statistics and data science at Yale School of Medicine, tells us. "For example, some over-the-counter migraine medications contain a combination of standard pain relievers (aspirin and acetaminophen) and caffeine. There is some evidence that mild caffeine use is associated with reduced risk of degenerativebrain diseases." "Caffeine blocks the action of the sleep molecule adenosine, which promotes sleepiness," , neuroscientist, sleep expert and head of sleep research at Wesper, adds. "It also raises our blood pressure slightly, and increases our cortisol levels slightly, which help us feel energized and focused. Caffeine has also been shown to be rich an antioxidants and clinical studies have shown that consuming caffeine is neuroprotective and may even offer modest improvements in longevity."To quote the late, great Billy Mays: But wait, there's more!Related: According to , neuroscientist and founder of Manifest Wellness, caffeine also increases dopamine activity (which can improve your mind, increase your motivation and just generally make you feel good), releases norepinephrine (which can help sharpen your attention and concentration) and stimulate the release of acetylcholine (which can improve verbal and working memory). "Together, the combination of adenosine inhibition and neurotransmitter enhancement contributes to caffeine's well-documented benefits on mental performance," he says. "These include faster processing speed (how quickly your brain can take in and act on new information), improved memory recall (especially for short-term and working memory tasks), enhanced reaction time (which is why caffeine is often used in sports or high-stakes cognitive tasks) and generally helps different regions of the brain communicate more effectively and adaptively. In essence, caffeine doesn't just wake you up—it temporarily fine-tunes your brain's operating system." That all sounds glorious, right? Still, we should all proceed with some caution, because we're all different and so are our brains, bodies and individual reactions to caffeine. You can have too much of a good thing, and it can reverse the benefits. "In the short term, caffeine gives us energy by releasing adrenaline which increases heart rate, blood pressure, releases sugar stores from our liver and makes our muscles and brain produce more energy so that our body and brain to work more effectively and efficiently," , neurologist at VSI in Reston, Virginia, says. "However, excessive and chronic cortisol elevations are stressful and deleterious for our bodies and brain and cause fatigue by increasing inflammation through stress response, lower pain threshold, disrupt sleep, cause anxiety and worsen focus and memory."Related: It's all about the timing, and other experts pretty universally agreed with Dr. Kaylor: While most people start sipping their java just minutes after waking, it may actually be better for them to wait a bit."There are two times that caffeine are beneficial and both of these times depend on the natural flow of your circadian rhythm (basically, your internal 24-hour biological clock)," Dr. Rohrscheib says. "While most people prefer to consume caffeine upon awakening, clinical research has shown that consuming caffeine from mid to late morning is most beneficial." Wait, what?! "This is due to a natural decline in cortisol levels around this time can lead to sleepiness and low energy levels," Dr. Rohrscheib explains. Other experts agree. Dr. Maniscalco tells Parade, "Most people wake up with a natural surge in cortisol, a hormone that helps us feel alert and regulates our energy. This surge, known as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), typically peaks about 30 to 45 minutes after you wake up. If you consume caffeine during this window, your body is already producing its own 'natural espresso,' and adding more stimulation can be redundant or even counterproductive."Related: "Instead, research and expert opinion suggest waiting about 90 to 120 minutes after waking," Dr. Maniscalco continues. "For someone who gets up around 7:00 a.m., that means having your first coffee around 9:30 a.m., when cortisol levels are naturally declining and caffeine has a more noticeable, cleaner effect."He adds, "I'm not saying this is easy (I struggle many days!), but the longer you can wait after you wake up, the more effective—with fewer side effects—coffee will be."The other ideal window for many people is at or right after lunch, according to Dr. Rohrscheib. "The second time to consume caffeine is early to mid-afternoon, at approximately 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.," she says. "This helps to reduce the completely normal mid-afternoon slump that occurs when our circadian rhythm pressures us to rest. Consuming caffeine in this time window often gives us the energy and alertness to get through the rest of our day without affecting our sleep later."Related: Because everyone and their schedules are different, your mileage may vary with this. Dr. Akkerman says to ask yourself these questions regarding timing your caffeine intake: When are you most active? When is your blood pressure the lowest? Do you work a night shift or a day shift? Another consideration (and perhaps the most important), according to internist and Big Bold Health founder , is when you go to bed. "Caffeine has a half-life of six hours, which means that half of the caffeine you consume at 3 p.m. is still actively influencing your circadian rhythm and sleep opportunity at 9 p.m.," Dr. Perlmutter advises. "Generally speaking, cutting out caffeine consumption around 2 PM is a good idea to protect quality sleep. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine and should consider stopping consumption earlier in the day. Those with anxiety, jittery symptoms or issues with gastrointestinal sensitivity may want to be more careful with caffeinated beverages." Up Next:Dr. Ella Akkerman, MD Dr. Leah Kaylor, Ph.D, MSCP Dr. Jamey Maniscalco, Ph.D Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, Ph.D Dr. Dustin Scheinost, Ph.D, BS The Clever Coffee Hack Brain Experts Swear By for Better Focus and Energy first appeared on Parade on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
