Caffeine & Alcohol

Falling asleep and waking up are controlled by a number of chemical changes in the brain and the blood. Foods and medicines that alter the balance of these chemicals also can affect how well we sleep. For example, caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate, can cause insomnia (lack of sleep) and antidepressants, alcohol, and smoking can cause a loss of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

Below you can see the caffeine content of some common beverages. Keep in mind, that the caffeine from one regular coffee stays in your system for up to 5 hours. For example, if you have a coffee with dinner at 7, there will still be caffeine in your system at midnight.