Can I drink cocoa if I have insomnia?

I often have trouble sleeping, insomnia, and fatigue. I heard that people with insomnia should not drink coffee. Can I use cocoa to improve my mood? (Phuc Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Similar to coffee, the ingredient that affects sleep in cocoa is caffeine. When caffeine enters the body, it affects the brain quite quickly. Specifically, this substance is absorbed by the small intestine after only about 30-60 minutes depending on the person. After that, caffeine will cross the blood-brain barrier, affecting the brain as well as the entire body.

Inside the brain, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Normally, adenosine accumulates in the brain when we are awake, and the more adenosine we have, the more sleepy we become. Therefore, when caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, the body stays awake for a longer period of time and does not feel sleepy.

According to research by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the half-life of caffeine usually ranges from 4 to 6 hours. Half-life can be simply understood as the time it takes for the body to metabolize 50% of the caffeine it has consumed. Because the half-life of caffeine can last up to 6 hours, even if you use cocoa in the afternoon, it can still cause difficulty sleeping and insomnia at night.

Cocoa contains caffeine, which can make it difficult for some people to sleep. Photo: Freepik — Cocoa contains caffeine, which can make it difficult for some people to sleep. Photo: *Freepik*

The amount of caffeine in cocoa is about 230 mg in 100 g, lower than the amount of caffeine in coffee (about 500-700 mg in 100 g). However, when you have insomnia, if you drink cocoa, it can still make your body more alert and make it harder to sleep. This can also affect the day-night biological rhythm because caffeine blocks adnosine receptors, thereby making the body more sleepless. In addition to cocoa, people with insomnia should not drink other drinks containing caffeine such as coffee, tea...

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

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