Good Lifestyle

For many of us, it happens like clockwork: After lunch, maybe sometime around 3 p.m., our eyelids get heavy and we find ourselves stifling yawns as we struggle to stay alert. But when bedtime finally rolls around, sleep seems impossible. Our minds race with worry about all the things we didn't get done today, or what may happen tomorrow, and the shut-eye we so desperately wished for a few hours earlier becomes elusive.

Why is it that the afternoon slump hits some of us so hard—and then we can't fall asleep later on? If you can identify with this dilemma, read on to find out what the culprit could be, and how revamping your morning routine could make a huge difference in your energy level all day (and night) long.

READ THIS NEXT: If You Do This When You Sleep, Talk to Your Doctor, Study Says.

If you, as Dolly Parton once sang, stumble to the kitchen and pour yourself a cup of ambition as soon as you wake up in the morning, you're in good company.

The National Coffee Association (NCA) recently released a report showing that coffee consumption is the highest it's been in two decades, with 66 percent of Americans saying they enjoy the brewed beverage every day. That makes coffee more popular than water, diet soda, or any other drink—not surprising, considering the number of coffee shops you'll find in any major city, and the ubiquity of countertop coffee makers in American kitchens.

The boost we get from coffee's caffeine content—a typical mug contains about 96 milligrams of the drug (and yes, it is a drug)—is only part of its appeal. The ritual of making (or ordering) it, the rich aroma, and the soothing feeling of sipping something warm on a cold day (or cold on a hot day, if you're an iced coffee devotee) are all part of what makes coffee a beloved part of the morning routine. But if you find your energy flagging in the afternoon, and you struggle to sleep at night, you might want to rethink your relationship with coffee.

"Many people turn to caffeine to increase energy or alertness during the day, especially if they feel tired," says Stephanie Middleberg, RD, MS, CDN, food expert forCalibrate Health. "The problem here is that if you are relying on it as an upper or energy source when tired, it will only temporarily help. Once the caffeine wears off, you'll most likely feel more tired than you originally did, which can start a cycle of caffeine dependence."

Of course, not everyone responds to caffeine in the same way, Middleberg points out. "Caffeine is metabolized by an enzyme in the liver," she says. "Fifty percent of people have a variant in a particular gene that leads to slow processing of caffeine, and these people are considered 'slow metabolizers.'" These people may feel the effects of caffeine much longer than people whose systems clear the drug more quickly, making them feel jittery and keyed up for hours after draining their daily cup of joe.

For these slow metabolizers, there are other health risks, says Middleberg: "[They] are at increased risk of penyakit jantung, hypertension, mood disorders, and impaired fasting glucose when they consume caffeine or a certain amount of caffeine."

For more health advice delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

If anxiety keeps you up at night, even after you spent the afternoon battling fatigue, coffee could be to blame for that, too. Middleberg routinely recommends that people trying to manage stress begin by reducing their caffeine intake, "as it can disrupt sleep, raise your cortisol levels, and increase your risk of mood disorders." Cortisol is the hormone your body releases in response to stress, and overexposure to it can lead to an array of health problems, says the Mayo Clinic, including digestive trouble, headaches, weight gain, and memory problems.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

"Caffeine can trigger the release of the 'fight-or-flight' hormone, adrenaline, which in some people is good because it makes them feel more alert and wakeful," explains Middleberg. "But in others, especially those slow metabolizers, [caffeine] can lead to anxiety and nervousness." She further notes that, "Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder is now one of four caffeine-related syndromes that appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association."

Jika Anda seorang pecinta kopi, pikiran untuk melewati pagi tanpa itu mungkin menyusahkan, untuk sedikitnya. Tapi percaya atau tidak, ada alternatif untuk minuman beruap dan sarat kafein yang mungkin bahkan lebih efektif dalam menyemangati Anda. Salah satu pengganti paling mengejutkan untuk secangkir kopi? Sebuah apel!

Ya, itu benar - "Apple A Day" yang bagus yang dikatakan menjauhkan dokter juga dapat membantu membangunkan Anda di pagi hari, tanpa membuat Anda tetap terjaga di malam hari. Menurut blog Cornell University, berkat kandungan gula alami mereka, apel "memprovokasi respons yang sama terhadap kafein Karena vitamin dari apel dilepaskan perlahan di seluruh tubuh, membuat Anda merasa lebih terjaga. "Bahkan lebih baik?" Tidak seperti kafein, tidak ada goncangan, ayunan suasana hati, kecemasan, kegugupan atau kecelakaan yang ditakuti, "tulis para ahli mereka.

Mendapatkan sinar matahari alami di pagi hari dan berjalan -jalan dengan cepat dapat membantu membangunkan Anda juga,studi telah menemukan. Dan tentu saja, jika Anda benar -benar tidak bisa melepaskan kebiasaan kopi Anda, selalu ada tanpa kafir.

Baca ini selanjutnya:Jika Anda minum kopi seperti ini, risiko kanker Anda bisa meroket, kata belajar.