Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Pre‐Bedtime Caffeine Heightens Brain Criticality and Disrupts Deep Sleep

An EEG and AI study reveals that caffeine before bed alters sleep waves most in younger adults with possible consequences for memory processing.

Image
(© Vladimir Razgulyaev - stock.adobe.com)
To study how caffeine affects the sleeping brain, Carrier's team recorded the nocturnal brain activity of 40 healthy adults using an electroencephalogram. Credit: Neuroscience News
Image

Overview

  • Pre-sleep caffeine consumption increased brain signal complexity and criticality during NREM sleep, reflecting more dynamic and less predictable neuronal activity.
  • Caffeine intake attenuated slower theta and alpha oscillations while boosting faster beta wave activity, indicating a less restorative sleep state.
  • Young adults aged 20–27 exhibited the strongest shifts in sleep dynamics after caffeine intake, likely driven by higher densities of adenosine receptors.
  • Middle-aged participants (41–58) showed milder effects on brain rhythms, consistent with age-related declines in adenosine receptor availability.
  • Researchers warn that these caffeine-induced neural changes may impair overnight memory consolidation and cognitive recovery and call for further study to guide personalized intake recommendations.