(Image source from: Canva.com)

For countless individuals, the morning only truly starts after having the first cup of coffee. While caffeine can energize and enhance alertness, it may also make some people feel unexpectedly nervous, shaky, or uneasy. Dr. Kunal Sood, who is an anaesthesiologist and specialist in pain management, notes that the same effect that coffee has to wake you up can also bring forth symptoms that resemble anxiety. In a recent video on Instagram, Dr. Sood clarified that caffeine impacts a brain chemical called adenosine, which is crucial in making the body feel tired and ready to sleep. The same substance that energizes you can also create sensations similar to anxiety. Caffeine operates by blocking adenosine, a brain signal that helps build the pressure to sleep and induces tiredness. When this signal is hindered, you feel more awake, but your nervous system may become more stirred up. This is why caffeine might result in a rapid heartbeat, jitters, sweating, tremors, or that uneasy feeling that closely resembles anxiety.

To put it another way, caffeine not only sharpens alertness but can also elevate the body into a state that imitates the physical feelings linked to anxiety. Different people have varying reactions to coffee. One person might easily enjoy several cups during the day, while another could feel anxious after just one. Dr. Sood explains that a few factors can sway how caffeine impacts the body, such as genetics, the quality of sleep, levels of stress, medications, and pre-existing issues like panic disorder. Insufficient sleep can amplify these effects, as can consuming coffee on an empty stomach. Dr. Sood mentions that most healthy adults can safely take in about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, which is approximately three to four cups of coffee, based on how strong the brew is. However, this figure may not apply to everyone.

For the majority of healthy adults, around 400 milligrams of caffeine each day is typically seen as the highest safe limit, translating to roughly three to four cups of coffee depending on strength, but your personal limit could be significantly less. Factors such as genetics, lack of sleep, stress levels, medications, panic disorder, and consuming coffee on an empty stomach can all intensify the effects of caffeine.

Easy Ways To Minimize Coffee-Related Anxiety:

If coffee often makes you feel jittery, experts recommend a few straightforward changes:
Do not drink coffee when your stomach is empty.
Consider cutting down on the number of cups you consume daily.
Keep hydrated throughout the day.
Make quality sleep a priority.