Caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and soda are a popular choice for students who want to stay energized throughout the day, but too much caffeine can cause academic and health problems such as anxiety, sleep loss and even caffeine dependency.
Ted Kallmyer, a former biology and health educator, is the lead writer and researcher for the Caffeine Informer, a website that provides facts about caffeine. Kallmyer’s goals are to educate people about the risks and benefits of caffeine, and to provide information on the amount of caffeine found in popular food products.
“Due to the sheer number of caffeinated products available, as well as the variety of different ways students can consume caffeine, it is a huge part of students’ lives, and just as caffeine is known to fuel American productivity in the job sector, it probably also fuels performance in the academic sector,” Kallmyer said.
Consuming caffeine on a regular basis can be risky according to Kallmyer.
“Occasional high amounts of caffeine are probably fine for late-night study sessions, but for students that habitually consume large doses of caffeine, they are setting themselves up for a lifelong addiction to caffeine with the risk of caffeine overdose symptoms if they continue to increase their dose to offset their body’s built up tolerance to the drug,” Kallmyer said.
The symptoms of caffeine overdose include increased heart rate, anxiety and jitteriness.
Another side effect of excessive caffeine consumption is sleep loss.
“Students are often sleep deprived, and caffeine helps them function despite the lack of optimal sleep,” Kallmyer said. “However, there is a catch-22 cycle in that students take caffeine in place of sleep, but then caffeine also prevents them from sleeping well, which then requires more caffeine and so on.”
Drinking too much caffeine also has the potential to lower a student’s GPA. In 2017, researchers from Better Mattress Brand asked 1,000 college students how much caffeine they drank and how much sleep they were getting. The researchers found, on average, students who drink more cups of coffee daily had a lower GPA. The drop in the students’ GPA was attributed to sleep loss caused by high caffeine consumption.
Caffeine can be beneficial to people who use it as long as it is consumed in moderation. According to Caffeine Informer, 400 milligrams of caffeine, or about four cups of brewed coffee, can be consumed without experiencing side effects or sleep loss.
“The best way for a student to consume caffeine is to only use it occasionally,” Kallmyer said. “Use caffeine when late-night study sessions are needed or before major exams and tests.”
Despite the negative effects of caffeine, students drink caffeinated drinks for reasons other than productivity.
Lydian Kennin, a University of Memphis student and barista at Belltower Artisans coffee shop on the Highland Strip, said she regularly drinks espresso-based beverages not just to keep her alert and energized throughout the day, but also because she likes the taste.
She said she likes the culture surrounding coffee and to sit in coffee shops and study.
“A coffee atmosphere is great for studying, and I find that when I want to get work done I go to a place that sells coffee because they’re accommodating and student-friendly,” Kennin said. “It’s just where you go.”
