Do you drink coffee to wake up or wake up to drink coffee?
While some of us can jump right out of bed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning (who are you?), others need some extra pep in their step (well, coffee in their cup!) There’s nothing like waking up and smelling a fresh cup of coffee waiting just for you! But how does caffeine actually do it? And, why is it that jumping out of bed is so much easier for some people? Well, we’ve looked into this, and we want to explain it to you. So, brew a cup of your favourite Velo coffee, and keep on reading.
For those of you who might not know, caffeine acts as a stimulant on your central nervous system. Caffeine molecules look a lot like Adenosine molecules, which helps to regulate your sleep cycle (SpoonUniversity). Adenosine molecules look a lot like caffeine molecules to your brain. The longer you’re awake, the more adenosine molecules you have, and the more tired you feel! Are you with us so far? So, since caffeine molecules are so similar to adenosine molecules, your brain may get confused and the receptors in your brain will bind with the caffeine rather than the adenosine (SpoonUniversity).
Caffeine also influences your body to create additional adrenaline. Adrenaline increases your energy levels which makes you feel more awake and energised (Bustle, Health). Caffeine can help to improve your reaction time and attention to your surroundings (Bustle, Health); but be careful of those shoes you left out in the middle of the floor the night before!
Whether you like a nice, frothy cappuccino in the morning, or a few shots of espresso, keep on enjoying it! It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who just enjoys a cup of coffee as part of their morning routine, or if you’re someone who doesn’t like partaking in daily activities without a nice hot cuppa first! The fact of the matter is, we all love starting our day with a smile, brought on by that first sip of coffee.