The pressure to excel in academics, sports and other extracurriculars has pushed students so hard that in order to keep up with minimal hours of sleep, many have begun to rely heavily on caffeine.
Whether it be coffee, tea, soda or energy drinks, many students are drinking excess amounts of caffeine without the knowledge of how it affects the body.
“Any caffeine is too much caffeine,” Christian Northeast Hospital sleep medicine specialist Dr. Gary Goldstein said. “Caffeine is a stimulant drug and its consumption can lead to dependency and even addiction.”
Aside from its obvious side effects including anxiety, headaches, dehydration and the jitters, caffeine largely interferes with the sleep cycle. In addition to its immediate side effects, excessive caffeine consumption can also lead to more serious consequences in the long run, including calcium deficiency, osteoporosis and heart problems.
“What many don’t realize is that ingesting caffeine is introducing a new drug to your body, just like any other drug,” Goldstein said.
However, many students are unaware of these negative consequences. Sophomore Tyler McDowell said she survives the pressures of multiple honors and AP classes as well as cross country with Starbucks double shot beverages.
“I drink them in the morning after I’ve stayed up late studying for a test,” McDowell said. “I usually get about five to six hours of sleep, but at least twice a week I get even less.”
Other students drink caffeinated drinks for the taste. Senior Jacob Maier owns a Starbucks gold card, which he received by purchasing more than 30 drinks.
“I go there every week,” Maier said. “I just do it for the taste, not even for the caffeine.”
The Starbucks fad has greatly increased caffeine intake. Students readily ingest excess caffeine in consequence of their Starbucks addiction.
Some students choose to drink more caffeine-concentrated drinks like 5-Hour Energy. Junior Jack Karagiannis said he drinks the beverage routinely four times a week.
“I take it to wake up in the mornings,” Karagiannis said. “And I take it to pump up before every football game.”
In addition to coffee and 5-Hour Energy, students have admitted to drinking other energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull come finals season.
Whether a student drinks the caffeine to stay up or stays up because of the caffeine, students who drink lots of caffeinated drinks face many obstacles dealing with sleep deprivation. When considering the negative effects of sleep deprivation, the dilemma of whether or not it is better to chug another coffee to stay up late cramming for a test arises.
“Sleep deprivation impairs your ability to reason,” Goldstein said. “If the test is how to spell 10 words, cram. If the test is to put the words in a paragraph in various contexts, go to sleep.”
According to Goldstein, high schoolers shouldn’t have to rely on caffeine to make it through the day. He believes that it all goes back to time management.
“Get off Facebook and social media, put your phone down, do your work and get to sleep,” Goldstein said. “If you set your priorities you shouldn’t need caffeine.”