Yaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnn

With two little daughters in our house I have been tired lately, though, probably not as tired as my wife Cory. Due to this I have been thinking a lot about sleep, specifically why I always yawn and why my coffee consumption has risen.

When Cory and I are able to sit and have conversations, I have noticed myself yawning. Followed by Cory yawning. And then it comes back to me, which Cory sees, and yawns. And then, well, you get the idea.

This yawning is a way for us to actually try to stay awake. We are trying to keep our brains cool, thus keep us awake. It seems with our yawning conversations that yawning is contagious.

While Cory and I are susceptible to each other’s yawns, researchers have found that only about half the population responds similarly. These same researchers say a respondent yawn was a way for early humans to communicate with one another. Such group yawns are believed to signify someone was tired and others in the group were acknowledging that.

Yawning is not the only mechanism I have employed to help keep me alert with the two little kids.

The chemical formula for caffeine is C8H10N4O2. My favorite type of caffeine is a nice, hot cup of coffee in the morning. Why does caffeine have ability to help keep us awake, maybe even twitchy, as in my case?

When we are tired, our bodies start to make a substance called “adenosine.” Adenosine binds to special parts in our brain causing drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity. To a nerve cell, caffeine looks like adenosine so caffeine binds to these receptors. This causes our neurons to fire more frequently, which causes our pituitary gland to think there is an emergency and helps to produce adrenaline.

There are negative effects of caffeine with one in particular that I am going to pay attention to. If you are not careful with your caffeine consumption, it will have a negative impact on your sleep.

If you drink a cup of high-test coffee or caffeinated pop with dinner, the caffeine will still be affecting the adenosine 12 hours later. This can impact your sleep and make your body feel like it needs the caffeine as soon as you get out of bed. There are two sides to every story, however, and researchers have found some benefits to caffeine consumption.

Adults who drink coffee on a regular basis appear less likely to get diabetes, colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease and even may have fewer cavities. Now, what you put in your coffee may not help with cavities, like my two tablespoons of honey.

My conclusion is moderation. I can still drink my coffee in the morning, but not my usual five cups. I can also drop that afternoon break at the coffee shop in favor of a brisk 15-minute walk. This will help to break the cycle and give me what started all this in the first place, the need for a good night’s sleep.

Hopefully this column has not made you need to find alternate ways to keep awake for the rest of your day.