After a long night of tossing and turning, it’s normal to feel exhausted the next day at work. Most of us can survive dreary mornings with a little help from a strong cup of coffee or two. We strike the right balance, where coffee helps us feel more awake and alert.
But not everyone is so lucky. Some people are sensitive to caffeine and a small cup will have them still jittery at 11 pm. And for some people, things go the other way. They can drink a few cups of strong brewed tea or coffee, only to find the caffeine not working.
If you’re one of those people, you may have asked yourself, coffee doesn’t affect me? This article will explore the reasons why caffeine doesn’t work anymore on you. Once you’ve figured out why you have a caffeine immunity, you can then look for ways to fix it!
Why Doesn’t Caffeine Work on Me?
You may think that your brain is broken if coffee can’t get it out of its foggy, sleepy state. But the truth is, there are lots of factors that determine the effect of coffee (or the lack of it) on the body.
Here’s why your cup of coffee doesn’t have the same kick as it once had:
Your Genetics:
Your genes may affect how your body takes in caffeine. Caffeine enters your bloodstream through the stomach and intestines, and as it passes through the body, it binds to a number of “receptors,” most of which are in your brain.
These receptors can behave differently based on genetics. How fast does caffeine work? This depends.
Some people have receptors that are more likely to join up with the caffeine while others don’t. Then, the caffeine is metabolized in the liver. Genetics also play a major role in how your body metabolizes caffeine
In your liver, here are certain enzymes that metabolize caffeine. Some people produce less of the one that removes the caffeine from your system. If you feel the effects of your coffee vanishing in an hour or two, you are probably a fast caffeine metabolizer.
Caffeine Tolerance:
If you drink multiple glasses of cold brew a day, you might have built up a coffee tolerance. If you are wondering why caffeine has no effect on me, it may be because you built the habit of drinking lots of coffee every day.
After a while, you will have to keep drinking more and more coffee to keep you awake and alert. This can lead to caffeine overdoses which are unpleasant and can cause serious health problems in the long run.
Too Little Caffeine:
Sometimes, it could be that you are consuming the wrong amount of caffeine. Or perhaps the kind of coffee you are drinking is weakly brewed or diluted with milk. Also, if your body metabolizes coffee quickly, you may need a stronger brew, or more coffee to achieve the same effect.
This can also have to do with your height and body weight. Smaller people can get the effects of caffeine with a cup of coffee or tea. On the other hand, taller and bigger people may need to consume more to feel properly alert.
Too Little Sleep:
Yes, coffee can help you stay awake after an all-nighter. But if you haven’t slept in 3 days, a pitcher of coffee won’t help your brain stay conscious. We feel sleepy because of a chemical called adenosine.
After drinking coffee, the caffeine binds to these molecules, which makes us feel more alert instead of tired. This reverses the effects of adenosine, keeping you awake instead.
But there’s a big catch: if you are sleep deprived, your body will produce even more adenosine. The extra adenosine can counteract the effects of the caffeine, so it won’t have the usual effects.
This is why your regular cup of coffee won’t work in keeping you awake. Instead, try a couple of shots of espresso!
Also, sleep deprivation can intensify in cases of neurodivergent. If you ever thought, ‘caffeine makes me tired,’ ADHD can play a role and the coffee will not have any effect on individuals with this condition.
Too Much Coffee:
Too much of a good thing can go bad, and this might be the reason that caffeine doesn’t work for you. If you’ve been drinking way too much coffee each day, you risk a number of health concerns, the most dangerous being a heart attack.
If you consume more than 400mg of caffeine a day, you will begin experiencing severe side effects. These can range from mild irritability and jitters to severe nausea, diarrhea, cramps, headaches, and vomiting.
The worst part? Extreme caffeine will also have a negative effect on your sleep at night. You won’t be able to sleep, you’ll feel anxious and jittery, and the exhaustion you felt during the day will assault you in full force. And the next day, you will drink even more coffee, repeating the cycle.
This is why it is important to consume the right amount of caffeine. Some blends and roasts have more caffeine, so it is important to drink less of it. You can also try lighter roasts and even decaf coffee.
Everything Else You’ve Been Consuming:
At the bottom of the list, the things you eat also affect how caffeine works in your system. Food, drinks, medicine, drugs- anything you consume influences the way caffeine is metabolized.
Certain enzymes metabolize various substances, so each compound has to wait to get metabolized, which in turn, slows down the overall process and keeps the substance in your system longer. Some painkillers can make you tired and sleepy, counteracting the effects of caffeine.
On the other hand, smoking cigarettes increases the rate at which caffeine is metabolized. It also means that the caffeine leaves the system faster, so smokers often end up drinking more coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find answers to questions that people often have about caffeine and its effects.
01. Why Doesn’t Coffee Wake Me Up?
If your coffee isn’t waking you up, it may be because your blend of coffee is weak, or your brew is diluted. It can also be due to sleep deprivation, genetics, and tolerance to caffeine.
02. Can You Build a Tolerance to Caffeine?
If you drink too much coffee and drink tea frequently, your body can build a tolerance for caffeine. This can lead to caffeine overdoses which have a plethora of nasty side effects.
03. Why Am I So Sensitive to Caffeine?
A number of factors result in caffeine sensitivity, including things like genetics and the liver’s ability to metabolize caffeine. A caffeine allergy occurs if your immune system mistakes caffeine as a potentially dangerous invader and tries to fight it off with antibodies. This can cause severe negative reactions to coffee.
04. How Does Caffeine Affect the Brain?
Caffeine works as a stimulant to the central nervous system. Once it reaches the brain, the most significant effects are wakefulness and alertness. You will feel more aware and less exhausted, which is why a cup of coffee is the perfect pick-me-up for long and tiring days.
05. Where in the Body Does Caffeine Act?
Caffeine affects the central nervous system (CNS) mainly altering the way the brain works. However, as caffeine is a stimulant, it can also increase the heart rate.
To Summarize
Consuming coffee while tired, only to find that you are both jittery and exhausted can be a ghastly experience. If you’ve been asking yourself, ‘Why doesn’t caffeine affect me?’ it might be time to look at the coffee you are consuming.
Is your coffee too weak? Or are you developing a tolerance to coffee? If the reason is the latter, it might be a good idea to cut back on your caffeine intake.
Switching to decaf, or trying milder teas can be a good way to make sure consuming caffeine doesn’t lose its edge. May your coffee always be hot, flavorful, and strongly brewed!
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