Sleep and the impact of caffeine, supplements, and other stimulants

Abstract Caffeinated energy drinks are immensely popular and increasingly consumed by youth and adults internationally to counteract effects of insufficient sleep, and improve performance. However, the research over last decade has observed an increased prevalence of sleep-related complaints in caffeine-users. With increased awareness of the role of sleep disturbances in health and disease in general public, the review of this bidirectional nature of caffeinated products and sleep disturbances is critical. This chapter will review the epidemiology of caffeine, energy drinks, and prescribed stimulants. We will then discuss the mechanism of caffeine on sleep-wake homeostasis and address the genetic and environmental factors related to the individual variation of caffeine effects on sleep. The health consequences due to caffeine-sleep paradigm will be briefly discussed. Finally, we will include few recommendations keeping in mind the limitations in the current literature.