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How To Sleep After Drinking An Energy Drink

Coffee in, caffeine out, snooze on.
How To Sleep After Drinking An Energy Drink
Tom Greenspan
Updated 
December 21, 2022

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Had an energy drink too late in the day? Caffeine and other chemicals are designed to keep you alert, but what if you need to rest? We have the tips and tricks you need to get to sleep. 

To sleep after drinking an energy drink, create an environment conducive to sleep. Remove all light-emitting devices or distractions. Exercise before sleep, take a warm bath or take Rutaecarpine to reduce caffeine's effects.

How Caffeine Works

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, making your brain more receptive to caffeine.

Caffeine looks very similar to the adenosine receptor and can attach very easily, blocking it. When this receptor is turned off, we can push through arduous tasks without feeling tired from adenosine.

Caffeine takes over our nervous system for the period it remains in our bodies, which can be up to twelve hours. It's not surprising why we have trouble sleeping after drinking energy drinks.

How Much Caffeine Is In An Energy Drink?

Caffeine in a coffee averages 13 mg a cup, and we know that can be enough to make us alert and prevent us from sleeping.

Red Bull has 80 mg in each can. In comparison, a can of Coke has 34 mg.

Energy drinks are loaded with caffeine, and some of them contain significantly more caffeine than others, and you should always check the can before drinking one.

Some countries have banned Red Bull due to its caffeine content, which can harm your health.

Energy drinks affect your body within 24 hours

Caffeine is a mood enhancer because it blocks any chemicals that make us feel tired or sleepy, as well as any chemicals that may lower our mood.

Created using information from sources including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and energy drink manufacturer Red Bull.

Can I Have Too Much Caffeine?

Yes, you can have too much caffeine, and the side effects will become apparent fairly quickly.

Understandably, you can’t sleep, or your sleep pattern has been disrupted during the night, resulting in you being tired the next day, prompting you to reach for another energy drink!

When you consume too many energy drinks and caffeine, you may experience shaky or trembling hands, especially the fingers.

Caffeine is a powerful chemical that can cause palpitations and is also used as a Vasodilator filler in the pharmaceutical industry.

Caffeine increases the flow of blood through your heart.

How Caffeine Is Measured

Caffeine is measured in milligrams in the drinks, but caffeine is measured in half-lives in terms of its potency.

The half-life of caffeine is approximately 6 hours. So, as you increase the number of cans you drink throughout the day, you can easily see that it will be a long twelve hours before the caffeine is out of your system entirely.

How Can I Sleep After Drinking Energy Drinks?

It's a great question, and the answer will depend on a few factors. Do you drink energy drinks regularly? Have you built up some tolerance to caffeine?

When was the last time you drank an energy drink? If it is late in the day, it may be difficult to sleep at your usual bedtime.

Light Exercise 

If you arrive home early in the evening and have eaten, go for a walk. It may seem as though a walk will wake you up, but the goal of the exercise is to tire your body. Exercise that is not strenuous, such as walking or light jogging, can help you sleep better. 

Yoga

Yoga is well known for its ability to induce relaxation, and a gentle Yoga session will increase your chance of sleeping through the night.

Meditation

Energy drinks and brain stimulation can make it challenging to quiet our minds after drinking them. The key to good sleep is to calm our minds and dispel the thoughts that may keep us awake until the early morning hours.

When practiced regularly, meditation is a good tool for relaxing the mind and body. It can be combined with the other methods listed below to promote a restful night's sleep.

Warm Bath

Warm baths have many benefits for the body; they are better than a shower for relaxation, but if you must take a shower, stand under the shower a little longer and soak away the aches and stress of the day.

Essential Oils

We usually associate our favorite essential oil with calm memories when we smell it, so introducing essential oils is a great way to calm the mind.

Lavender oil is renowned for its therapeutic properties for enhancing sleep. 

Try putting the oil on cotton balls and placing them in areas where the scent will fill the room.

Listen To Calming Music

There is some perfect sleep music online, or you can listen to repetitive noises like the ocean lapping gently on the shore or rain hitting the window. It is a perfect way to release the worries of the day from your mind and take you to a place of calm tranquility.

Read A Book

If you want to feel sleepy, read a book that will take your mind off of the events of the day. Don't read horror stories as they could cause nightmares.

Consider Taking Rutaecarpine

If you cannot avoid drinking an energy drink late in the day, you could consider an anti-caffeine pill such as Rutaecarpine. A natural drug derived from berries can help eliminate caffeine from your system.

Rutaecarpine is an ancient Chinese medicine used to reduce inflammation and pain. Natural drugs are said to counteract caffeine's effects and expedite its elimination from the body.

Intriguingly, one of the side effects of caffeine is frequent urination, and combining this with Rutaecarpine, you could see the effects of your energy drinks being negated quickly, allowing you to sleep.

Is Rutaecarpine Safe To Use?

The drug is considered safe to use and has been tested by the FDA. The fatal dose limit is 65mg for every kg of bodyweight.

I think that can be considered safe as an overdose would be almost impossible for the average person.

How Does Rutaecarpine Work

Rutaecarpine produces two enzymes in the gut that enter into the bloodstream that break down the caffeine in an efficient manner.

What’s The Dose Of Rutaecarpine To Make Me Sleep. 

The dosage required is 100 mg 2 to 4 hours before bedtime. Stick to the dosage stated on the bottle as there can be some side effects and allergic reactions to folks sensitive to Rutaecarpine.

Can Drink More Energy Drinks?

No, it does not give you the key to consuming more energy drinks. Energy drinks have a detrimental effect on the body and become addictive.

Rutaecarpine is a medication to disperse caffeine in your body and is not a substitute for any other medications that may be needed to help with an addiction.

Side Effects Of Energy drinks

There is a lot of speculation regarding the safety of energy drinks, including if they are carcinogenic. The debate will rage as companies like Red Bull fight their corner to prove energy drinks are indeed safe.

However, several side effects indicate you are drinking too many energy drinks and ingesting too much caffeine.

  • Shaky hands and fingers
  • Loss of concentration when overloaded with caffeine
  • Vision disturbances
  • Palpitations
  • Talking fast and the inability to listen 
  • Frequent urination
  • Loss of sleep
  • Increased anxiety

Don't forget energy drinks are also packed with sugar.

  • Weight gain and Obesity
  • Teeth cavities
  • Sugar intake reduces the absorption of vitamins and minerals
  • Reduced Vitamin C
  • Reduced Vitamin D
  • Reduced Magnesium
  • Reduced Calcium
  • Reduced Chromium increases the risk of glucose intolerance

There are many reasons we should use energy drinks in moderation, and from the list above, there are more reasons we should wean ourselves off energy drinks.

Caffeine can have some good effects on the body if in the correct amount, such as a coffee from Starbucks.

Energy drinks deliver a potent dose of caffeine and a lot of sugar. It's hardly surprising we feel as if we can take on the world after drinking energy drinks.

How Much Caffeine Is Safe for Us?

The question is not as straightforward as you would imagine, and it depends if you have a tolerance for caffeine or are hypersensitive to caffeine.

So, let's talk about averages and use a reliable source for our information.

The Mayo Clinic states that 400mg every day is safe, excessive, but safe for the average adult. This equates to 4 cups of coffee daily or 10 cans of soda daily, or 2 energy drinks.

This is only considering the amount of caffeine you are consuming and not the other damaging sugar element of energy drinks.

The FDA states that caffeine may become toxic to the average person after 28 cups in one day. It seems a lot, and it is, but don't forget we are talking averages, not about body weight or composition, which also factor into how much is too much.

Curbing The Need For Caffeine and Energy Drinks

There are many reasons and considerations we need to make when curbing the caffeine and energy drink habit.

A good reason is to trim back on the spending. These drinks are not cheap, and over a month can add up to a sizable amount of cash.

A sudden or abrupt decrease in caffeine or energy drinks may see you spiral into cravings, wean yourself off slowly, so you don't get withdrawal symptoms.

It can be a real challenge to stop drinking energy drinks abruptly, and if you do, you may experience fatigue, irritability, and difficulty focusing on tasks.

Pick your time to stop drinking energy drinks to avoid a sudden decrease in performance. The good news is that the symptoms only last for a few days before you are back to normal, and the symptoms should be mild.

Monitor Your Progress When Quitting Energy Drinks

Keep tabs on what you are consuming, and when eating out, realize that caffeine and sugar content are not always listed. Whenever possible, read labels.

Cut Back Gradually

There is no need to go cold turkey unless your doctor has told you to quit without further delay.

In most cases, decrease your consumption over a few weeks to not experience any side effects. You can even go from one can a day to half a can daily in the final days of coming off energy drinks. Maybe drink a coffee or two or soda. They will still give you a caffeine high.

Find A Replacement

After ditching the energy drinks, you will need to find a replacement for hydration, and there are lots of alternatives for you to choose from without having the long-term side effects of energy drinks.

Water is the best alternative but opt for ice tea or another thirst-quenching alternative if you find water on the bland side.

The Bottom Line

If you are drinking energy drinks, then sleep may be a challenge for you. If you must use energy drinks before lunchtime, this will give the caffeine and sugar rush time to subside through the day.

It is possible to get a good night's sleep if you have had an energy drink late afternoon. You just need to set the environment and use the suggestions listed above to achieve your sleep goals.