Super common habit is keeping your brain awake while you sleep

News.com.au

2 days ago

Late-night scrolling isn't the only thing sabotaging your slumber.
New research suggests a common daily habit may send your brain into overdrive while you sleep — even if you do it hours before bedtime.
Scientists warn the disruption could interfere with the brain's overnight recovery processes, potentially taking a toll on your cognitive health.
In the study, Canadian researchers had 40 healthy adults spend two non-consecutive nights in a sleep lab.
On one night, participants consumed 200 milligrams of caffeine — the equivalent of about two cups of coffee — a few hours before bed.
On the other, they were given a placebo.
While most people know caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep, researchers used EEG scans to track brain activity after participants dozed off and found it kept their brains in a heightened state of alertness long after they shut their eyes.
They found, for the first time, that the stimulant pushed the brain into a state of 'criticality', making it more awake, alert and reactive than it should be while snoozing.
'While this is useful during the day for concentration, this state could interfere with rest at night: the brain would neither relax nor recover properly,' said Dr Julie Carrier, a psychology professor at the University of Montreal and co-author of the study.
The team used artificial intelligence to detect subtle changes in neuronal activity and found caffeine increased the complexity of brain signals, preventing the brain from fully powering down during sleep.
The effect was especially strong during non-REM sleep — the deep stage critical for memory and cognitive recovery.
Researchers also observed changes in brain wave patterns. Slow waves linked to deep, restorative rest were reduced, while faster waves associated with wakefulness and mental activity increased.
'These changes suggest that even during sleep, the brain remains in a more activated, less restorative state under the influence of caffeine,' said Dr Karim Jerbi, a psychology professor at the University of Montreal and researcher at the Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, who co-authored the study.
'This change in the brain's rhythmical activity may help explain why caffeine affects the efficiency with which the brain recovers during the night, with potential consequences for memory processing,' he added.
Notably, the stimulant's effects were far more pronounced in participants aged 20 to 27 compared to those aged 41 to 58 — especially during REM sleep, the dreaming phase tied to emotional and cognitive processing.
Researchers believe younger adults responded more strongly due to having more adenosine receptors. These molecules gradually accumulate in the brain throughout the day, triggering fatigue.
'Adenosine receptors naturally decrease with age, reducing caffeine's ability to block them and improve brain complexity, which may partly explain the reduced effect of caffeine observed in middle-aged participants,' Dr Carrier said.
The findings suggest younger brains may be especially vulnerable to caffeine's hidden impact on rest.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world, commonly found in products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, sodas and energy drinks.
Three in four Australians (75 per cent) enjoy at least one cup of coffee per day, and of those, 28 per cent have three or more cups per day, according to McCrindle.
While the Mayo Clinic says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is generally safe for healthy adults, the study suggests it could still be interfering with sleep quality — even hours after your last sip.
The scientists are calling for further research exploring how these night-time brain changes affect day-to-day functioning and cognitive health.
This, they said, could one day shape personalised caffeine recommendations.