oh wow that is really harmful!! you should drink no more than 6 cups a day max! read this!
There are a variety of reasons for insomnia, such as drug induced, medical conditions. Drug induced sleep disorders often times are overlooked because of misunderstandings about how the drug performs. For example, caffeine, probably the most consumed stimulant in the world today, is used by 80% of the United States population. As many as one in five adults ingest enough caffeine to cause some type of clinical symptom, for example, restlessness, nervousness, excitement, diverse agitation, insomnia and much more. "Caffeinism" is a term used to describe the clinical syndrome produced by acute or chronic overuse of caffeine. The risk in developing serious side effects from caffeine becomes high when intake exceeds 500mg per day. In terms of cups of coffee, how much is too much?
The average cup of coffee contains 85-100mg of caffeine, while teas can contain 60-10mg of caffeine. One should also recognize that caffeine is contained in many other items other than coffee and tea. For example, Anacin, Excedrin Extra Strength, Vanquish, soft drinks, prescription drug products, chocolate, plus many more. As little as 85-250mg of caffeine or 1-3 cups of coffee can alter one's motor skills or stimulatory reaction.
Caffeine ingestion varies depending on culture and nations, from 80-400mg per person per day. In the United States, the average intake is 200-240mg per day. The majority of caffeine users progress to a pattern of frequent or daily ingestion. In fact, our children can consume substantial quantities of caffeine by ingesting soft drinks and chocolate. The actual amount of caffeine consumed per day can only be calculated by adding up the caffeine in all the various caffeinated products, which we ingest.
Caffeine is a drug without any governmental regulation. It is contained in numerous substances and can cause side effects. Interestingly, some caffeine formulations can be obtained only by prescription.
Caffeine can cause dependence, withdrawal and reinforcement. In other words, a psychological addiction pattern can be associated with the daily use of caffeine. If consumption is kept at a low daily dose; however, this effect is usually without any consequence.
Caffeine may interfere with sleep in non-tolerant individuals. Once tolerance has developed, people are much less likely to self-report sleep abnormalities or they may sense insomnia has disappeared. Nonetheless, it is prudent to avoid caffeine consumption at least 3-6 hours (or more) before bedtime, since the effects of caffeine stay working in your system for at least that amount of time.
The purpose of this article is not to prohibit coffee consumption, but rather to shed some light on the fact that caffeine is a drug and can cause adverse effects. Nervousness, insomnia, agitation, and restlessness can be common when ingestion of caffeine exceeds a patient's tolerance.
Some of the possible side effects of caffeine include the following:
• Increased heart rate
• Increased heart muscle contraction
• Diuretic actions
• Altered effect on pleasure and reward centers of the brain
• Tremors, agitation, restlessness
• Insomnia, anxiety
• Periods of inexhaustibility
• Muscle twitching
• GI disturbance
• Rambling flow of thought or speech
• Seizures (in very high doses)
• Increased blood pressure