New Research Says Coffee Can't Actually Make Up For Poor Sleep

When we're not getting enough sleep (i.e., quantity and quality), it can take a major toll on our cognitive abilities, making it more challenging to go about our day. Since coffee and other caffeinated beverages are often used to bolster us when we're tired, researchers from Michigan State University wanted to know just how well caffeine actually counteracts inadequate sleep duration.

The team observed that not clocking enough hours asleep worsened overall performance in both cognitive tasks, and caffeine wasn't enough to help participants get back on track to complete the challenging tasks. While it did seem to help slightly with the more basic tasks, the same couldn't be said for the more difficult ones.

As lead researcher Kimberly Fenn, Ph.D., notes in a news release, "Although people may feel as if they can combat sleep deprivation with caffeine, their performance on higher-level tasks will likely still be impaired." This is one of the (many) reasons suboptimal sleep over time can be so deleterious.

Sleep is an integral part of our overall well-being, and when we don't get enough, we (unfortunately) can't expect coffee to pick up the slack. "Caffeine increases energy, reduces sleepiness, and can even improve mood, but it absolutely does not replace a full night of sleep," Fenn explains.