Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Speaker A: Welcome back to another episode of Spill the Tea where we share real stories with real teens. Last episode, we went down the rabbit hole into the science of sleep and it was such a hit. But it was jam packed with science insights and tips and tricks. So we decided to break it down into bite sized episodes, making it easier to catch the insights without losing sleep. Over the details in this mini series, we'll unpack topics like what happens when you're running on empty with sleep deprivation? Take a tour through our BR Overnight Workshop for Dreams, memories and learning and decode your body's built in clock with circadian alertness. So get comfortable and let's wake up to the fascinating science behind better sleep.
Today we're teaching you how to get superpowers. Just kidding. But while we may not be learning mind control, we will be focusing on how to use sleep science to your advantage to get your brain and body at 100% when it matters. To do this, we're going to break down our body clocks to discover how our circadian rhythms give us built in times of peak performance throughout the day, as well as give specific tips on how to harness caffeine's full potential. But wait, circadian rhythm? What even is that? Don't worry. To answer all our questions, we welcome back Dr. Mayta Chen, the Medical Director for the Pediatric Sleep center at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Ready to become your superpowered self? Let's go.
M.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: Every single cell in our bodies actually have a circadian rhythm. So all of them have a functioning circadian clock that they do things at certain times of the day. Every single cell something we call process C or the circadian process.
And that's really our body clock. So that is the thing that says at six o' clock in the morning, you're used to waking up at that time. And the circadian process is what says at 10pm 11 p.
That's what gets us sleepy. And that's when we tend to get sleepy and fall asleep for the night.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: Okay, so our circadian rhythm is the body clock that every one of our cells beats to and it tells us when we should be awake versus when we should be asleep. But wait a minute.
This process doesn't just affect us at night and in the morning. Our circadian rhythm is constantly working behind the scenes at all hours of the day. When you brush your teeth, when you eat your lunch, when you drive home from work, your circadian rhythm is creating natural peaks and dips in your alertness. In other words, there are times when your brain is primed to be focused and energized. And other times when it's perfectly normal to feel a little sluggish. Those highs and lows aren't random. They're all part of your body's built in daily rhythm.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: Everybody has a little dip in their circadian alerting signal in the afternoon. This is why we all get a little bit sleepy. It's uh, tends to happen after lunch. It really doesn't have that much to do with eating. It is more so that everybody has a little bit of a dip in their alertness signal at that point in time.
In cultures outside of the U.S.
many of them will indulge in that and do a siesta or a routine afternoon nap. Um, and we are just a society who doesn't.
[00:03:25] Speaker A: So that sleepy feeling we all get in the afternoon is not just a belly full of lunch saying, vamos amigo, it's nap time. It's actually our circadian rhythms putting a dip in our alertness. But there's a counterpart to this. Do you want to know when the best scientific time in your day to take a test is? What about a job interview or a track meet or a soccer game? While our circadian rhythms may drop our alertness at times during the day, it also heightens it at other times.
[00:03:50] Speaker B: Circadian alertness is the signal that says for the environmental cues you are in, you should be awake.
So peak performance comes in two big chunks. One is in the morning and one is right that afternoon dip we have. And so if you talk about things like athletics or test taking, that's when those two tend to peak in terms of performance times, surgeries. For example, in the medical field, the most important surgeries of the day are oftentimes scheduled for opening cases in the operating room. So the first case of the day.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: All right, so it's pretty cool that we have built in times during the day when our alertness is super powered and we are literally at 100%. But we might need to slow our roll a little bit here because if you're a sleep deprived teen or if your alarm clock wakes you up at the crack of dawn, that doesn't necessarily mean that you will be your superpowered self at the times you're expect.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Usually there is a period of maximal alertness in the morning. So when I'm talking about peak alertness, I'm talking about the time that our bodies would choose to wake up if given no other constraints, which I should clarify is different than what time the alarm clock goes off.
So we can all falsely force ourselves into being awake, which I would say the majority of teenagers do when schools start versus the time time that we naturally wake up.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: So if a person naturally wakes up at 8am, um, not sleep deprived and with no alarm clock, then their peak alertness is going to be an hour or so after they wake up. Same thing in the afternoon. An hour or so after our afternoon dip or siesta, we will again be at our peak alertness. However, teenagers actually have a third circadian bump of alertness at the exact time the rest of their time zone is ready to go to sleep.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: I think pertinent to teenagers, they have a third bump. So there is yet one more burst of alertness at night.
Many parents will tell you that their teenagers don't really wake up until 9 or 10pm that is when they are chattiest. That is when they tend to start doing their homework a little bit more effectively. And of course that's the time that every parent wants their teenager to go to sleep.
[00:06:18] Speaker A: So because of their third bump, teens are awake and buzzing, ready to talk about the meaning of life and their favorite soccer team at the exact time that adults are ready to go to bed. This is because of two reasons. The first one, we just learned about the third bump of circadian alertness that teens have at night. The second reason is that teenagers have a natural shift in their circadian rhythms that keep their awake signals on much later than adults. So 10pm for an adult is actually the same as 7pm for a teenage. This is a key concept to understanding teen sleep. So to hear more about it in detail, we recommend listening to our longer episode sleep secrets for a more complete explanation. Up. Uh, next we're going to spill the tea on the secrets behind using caffeine to our advantage.
Alright, we've learned how to take advantage of our circadian rhythm so that we know when we will peak at 100% and when we might dip down into sleepy land. But what happens when that math test or that soccer game is scheduled smack dab during that afternoon dip? To overcome that dip and stay super powered all day, that's when we turn to the world's favorite drug, caffeine. And we're going to hear directly from some of the biggest users of caffeine, teenagers.
Caffeine really helps me focus.
I feel like it really helps me hone in especially when I'm m playing.
I don't drink energy drinks at all. Um, I never have just because I'm scared of the like the withdrawal. So I feel like in moderation it can be good. But there's obviously times where like, you don't want to abuse that you don't want to get addicted. Because caffeine withdrawal is real, is no joke. Yeah, for me it's different. I don't know if it's a genetic thing, but my family is pretty immune to caffeine. My father guzzles like cup after cup of coffee every day and it has no effect on him, so it doesn't really work for me. So I don't drink caffeine.
[00:08:08] Speaker B: So caffeine is the world's most commonly used and abused enhancing drug. At its root, caffeine is a wake promoting agent. Caffeine keeps those wake switches on. It keeps up the brain's level of vigilance, of awareness, of focus. Caffeine in the right doses and at the right time can be actually really helpful for daytime function.
I think where we get into trouble though is that most people don't time it or don't take the appropriate amount. And so then we get into trouble.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: We've established that caffeine isn't magic, it's a drug. Where the magic with caffeine does lie is get the timing right, get the dose right, and you can boost your focus without sabotaging your sleep later. So before you reach for another cup of coffee or pop open a Red Bull, let's talk about how timing your caffeine to match your circadian peaks and alertness can help you get more done with a lot less effort.
[00:09:09] Speaker B: So if you have a cup of, let's say drip coffee, 8 ounces of drip coffee at 8am M. That should last you a fairly good while into the day where hopefully it will help off put some of that natural circadian dip that you have in the early afternoon.
[00:09:27] Speaker A: Timing is the first piece of the puzzle. Ideally, our first peak in circadian alertness early in the morning should be enough to start our day without any caffeine.
Then timing to drink it before our afternoon dip allows us to avoid that post lunch crash. But timing isn't enough on its own. The second question is how much? And the answer is not more is better. In reality, the ideal amount of caffeine isn't a universal number, it's personal. The right amount is the dose that helps you stay alert and perform, um, well without paying for it later. That means no racing heart, no jitters, no afternoon crash, no disruptive sleep, and no waking up the next morning feeling like you can't function until you've had a cup of coffee. Think of it as finding your sweet spot. Enough caffeine to enhance your day, but not so much that you become dependent on it or need it to wake up the next day. So how do you figure out where that sweet spot is? The first step is knowing what dose goes into your cup.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: So a shot of espresso, let's say, is between 30 and 50 milligrams of caffeine at most places. And a tall latte or any variation around that has two shots of espresso in it. So you're talking anywhere from 60 to maybe 100 milligrams of caffeine.
That's in a 12 ounce cup.
A 12 ounce cup of drip coffee will have upwards of 250 milligrams easily in it. Uh, and so knowing what it is that you're ordering makes a big difference.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: Finding your ideal dose is especially important for teens.
Teenagers tend to metabolize caffeine quicker than adults, which can make it tempting to down another cup of coffee as soon as the first one starts wearing off. But metabolizing caffeine faster doesn't mean your brain and body are immune to its effects. It just means finding the right dose and resisting the urge to keep stacking. More caffeine throughout the day is even more important.
And for teens that love all types of sports energy drinks, myself included, dosing can be tricky. A typical energy drink can contain anywhere from about 80 to over 300 milligrams of caffeine in a single can. While some pre workout or highly caffeinated sports style drinks pack even more when you're grabbing one on the way to school, another before practice, and maybe a soda later in the day, those numbers can add up much faster than most people realize. Dosing is important for another reason too. Caffeine has a point of diminishing returns.
A little can help you feel more awake and focused. A bit more might provide an extra boost. But eventually you hit a ceiling.
[00:11:59] Speaker B: The more you have of it, the more effects you will have, both good and bad. And the good impact of caffeine. There's likely a ceiling effect where beyond a certain amount you get nothing but an overdrive state that is not great for productivity.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: While caffeine is a powerful tool, it can only do so much for us. Take it at the right time and recognize that there's a limit to how much you can actually improve your performance. But beyond that point, you're mostly just increasing the downsides. So know when to have that cup of coffee versus that red bowl, or even know when to just leave it up to your circadian rhythm and take advantage of those peaks in alertness after you wake up and in the late afternoon.
And if you're looking to learn more about circadian science, take a listen to our longer episode called Sleep Secrets, where we go more into depth on what governs our body clock.
But we're not, uh, done dreaming just yet. Check out the two other episodes on sleep where we unpack sleep deprivation and some of its unknown effects. Then we uncover the mysteries of REM sleep, the sleep stage where your brain is buzzing, your body is resting, and your dreams can get seriously crazy. See you next time. And thanks for listening to Spill the Text.
