Energy drinks cause poor sleep quality and insomnia in college students, according to a Norwegian BMJ Open study. Energy drinks lowered students’ overnight sleep, the study found.
According to a Norwegian BMJ Open study, college students who drink energy drinks have insomnia and poor sleep.
Students’ overnight sleep decreased with frequent use. One can, one to three times a month, increases sleep disruption risk, according to data.
According to the study, energy drinks average 150 mg caffeine per liter and vary in sugar, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Teens and college students use them for mental and physical rejuvenation.
They may lower sleep quality, although it’s unclear which factors or if there are sex-specific impacts.
These concerns were examined using 53,266 18–35-year-olds from the Students’ Health and Well-being Study (SHOT22), the latest wave of a major national survey of Norwegian college and university students.
Students could drink energy drinks daily, weekly (once; 2-3 times; 4-6 times), monthly (1-3 times), or rarely/never.
Bedtime, waketime, sleep delay, and awake after sleep were also queried. Time in bed vs. total nightly sleep hours determined sleep efficiency.
Insomnia was characterized as trouble sleeping, remaining asleep, and waking early at least three nights a week for three months, with daily lethargy and tiredness.
A dose-response relationship showed that energy drinks reduced sleep for both sexes.
Regular drinkers slept 30 minutes less than non-drinkers. Similar links were observed for waking after sleep and falling asleep slower.
Rising consumption increased nocturnal wake time and sleep lateness, decreasing sleep efficiency.
Daily consumers had higher sleeplessness than infrequent or no consumers (51% vs 33% for women, 37% vs 22%).
All areas showed more sleep difficulties with higher energy drink use, with the strongest links for short sleep duration.
Women were 87% more likely to sleep less than 6 hours after drinking energy drinks, while men were twice as likely.
Even those who drank energy drinks 1-3 times a month had more sleep problems.
This is observational research, hence no causation can be found.
Researchers believe reverse causality—energy drink intake producing poor sleep—may explain the links.
Consumption and sleep patterns were self-assessed, and time and quantity were not recorded.
However, researchers conclude: “This study demonstrated a robust link between energy drink frequency and sleep features.
“Identifying modifiable risk factors for sleep problems among college and university students is vital and our results suggest that the frequency of …consumption could be a possible target for interventions.”
Conclusion
According to a Norwegian BMJ Open study, college students who drink energy drinks have insomnia and poor sleep. Energy drinks lowered students’ overnight sleep, the study found. Sleep disturbance risk increases with one to three cans per month. Sugar, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and caffeine make up energy beverages, which average 150 mg caffeine per litre. SHOT22 surveyed 53,266 students regarding sleep. A dose-response relationship linked energy drinks to decreased sleep. Regular drinkers slept 30 minutes less than non-drinkers. Drinking increased nocturnal wake time and slowed sleep, decreasing sleep efficiency.
