Dr. Amy M. Bender

Sleep leader on a mission to help transform lives with better sleep | Constantly curious & striving to be less wrong | Adj Asst Prof @uofcknes | 🏀HOF

[Jesse Cook @SleepAndSports]

New publication exploring the interrelations of circadian preference, sleep inertia, and their interaction with marathon performance using a large sample (n = 936) of participans in the 2016 London Marathon!

Great work team: @ThisisMattGratt @jocharest1 @Sleep4Sport

#SleepPeeps

https://t.co/M4tRp0tLBL

[Cheri Mah, MD @drcherimah]

Teamed up for a sleep & sports panel at @AASMorg #SLEEP2024 with @ScottyNeurology @Sleep4Sport @SleepAndSports!

🥇🥈🥉how to prepare Olympic athletes for Paris 2024

😴👩🏻‍⚕️how to increase access to diagnose and manage sleep disorders

⌚️📊 how best to use #sleep wearables

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

Had a lot of fun on this panel at #sleep2024!

[Meagan Crowther @MeaganECrowther]

Jumping outside my usual areas for a discussion session “Helping Elite Athletes Optimize Sleep for Peak Performance” with @Sleep4Sport Cheri Mah @SleepAndSports Scott Kutscher

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

@MeaganECrowther @SleepAndSports Thanks for coming!

[Cathy Goldstein, MD, MS @cathygo_sleep]

This single, simple slide is SO, SO good…wearable performance in a 🥜 #SLEEP2024 @AASMorg

@SleepAndSports @drcherimah @Sleep4Sport @ScottyNeurology

[Brady Holmer @Brady_H]

Should you delay your caffeine intake in the morning?

Maybe.

This “rule” can be traced back to the popular scientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman, who recommends delaying one’s caffeine intake at least 90 minutes in the morning to avoid the mid-afternoon crash or energy slump that many of us experience.

The “scientific” rationale for this claim is twofold.

Because adenosine levels are naturally declining in the morning, we don’t want an artificial substance (i.e., caffeine) to disrupt this process. Rather, it’s best to ingest caffeine 90–120 minutes after waking up to leverage a more natural alertness boost from caffeine.

Furthermore, the artificial increase in cortisol that we get from a hit of caffeine will disrupt our body’s natural circadian release of cortisol, and over time, this could lead to a dysregulated pattern of cortisol release characterized by a prolonged increase in the morning.

The delay in morning caffeine may also prevent the afternoon crash that happens when caffeine is eliminated from our system (a problem that can just be mitigated by…dare I say it…drinking more caffeine).

While these claims are rooted in circadian and neurobiology, they're somewhat dubious.

While caffeine does increase cortisol levels, this effect appears to be diminished in chronic low consumers and abolished in chronic high users of caffeine. There’s also no evidence that morning caffeine intake alters the pattern of cortisol release across the rest of the day.

Performing exercise — particularly high-intensity exercise — also leads to a sharp increase in cortisol levels. Nobody is recommending that you should delay your morning exercise by 90–120 minutes, so why does this rationale apply to caffeine?

Second, adenosine levels don’t decline when we wake up in the morning — they actually begin to rise rapidly. In light of this pattern, the idea that delaying caffeine intake somehow prevents the natural decline in adenosine is unfounded. (https://t.co/PBRHYl2AIm)

In fact, wouldn’t delaying caffeine intake by 90–120 minutes just delay your afternoon crash by the same amount of time? Logic says yes, especially if part of the “crash” is due to some sort of caffeine withdrawal.

There may be one rational for delaying caffeine intake, and that’s simply to make it more effective. It is true that adenosine levels will be at their lowest point just upon awakening and thus, we should be somewhat alert at this time of the day. As adenosine levels start to rise in the hours after waking up, ingesting caffeine (to block adenosine binding) would make a bit more sense.

So, if you want to delay or avoid caffeine in the morning, there’s no harm in doing so, but there’s not much (if any) evidence that doing so will prevent the afternoon crash. In fact, the afternoon “crash” seems to be a circadian phenomenon whereby our body has a natural dip in energy — independent of caffeine intake.

The morning coffee is a sacred ritual for many. Why wait?

[Sports @Sports_MDPI]

#mdpisports MDPI Editor's Choice Paper for your reference 👉
Pyjamas, Polysomnography and Professional Athletes: The Role of #Sleep Tracking Technology in Sport https://t.co/MFWwpY6p0T via @Sports_MDPI
@mattdriller
@Sleep4Sport
@ShauniOmond

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

@NanciGuestRDPhD @JimBennieMD 7-9h for sleep in adults, and I believe 9 too much.
When it comes to laying in bed awake, it's not a good habit to get into as you start to associate bed with wake. General rule no more than 20 min. But ah, does feel so good, esp on those cold winter mornings!

[Mass Youth Soccer @MAYouthSoccer]

Can't wait to hear @Sleep4Sport present at the 50th Anniversary Workshop in association with the New England Revolution. Get the latest sleep research and helpful tips for better sleep at home as well as on the road.

ORDER: https://t.co/9odTcYxiTi

#MAWorkshop #soccer #sleep

[Mass Youth Soccer @MAYouthSoccer]

.@Sleep4Sport can't wait to come to our 50th Anniversary Workshop on 2/3/24 to talk to attendees about the importance of sleep in players to improve performance in the classroom and on the field.

TIX: https://t.co/9odTcYxiTi

#MAWorkshop #soccer #sleep

[FIFA @FIFAcom]

Only 6% of sports science research is exclusively focused on women.

Find out how FIFA, with the support of world leading specialists, is working to spread information, education and resources on how to support and develop female players around the world. 🌍

[Mass Youth Soccer @MAYouthSoccer]

Are there any nutritional considerations to keep in mind to better adapt to the time change? Find out with sleep scientist @Sleep4Sport

Dr. Bender will be presenting at the 50th Anniversary Workshop on 2/3/24 at Gillette.

TIX: https://t.co/jeD2zLEfjj

#MAWorkshop #sleep #food

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

@hipacrocapig @LokRenske Totally agree, light levels on overcast day could be ~25,000 lux (I measured it one time) which is not what receiving with light box. Another bonus is 🌞 is full spectrum (all colors) vs focused on a specific wave length (blue). But a good option when you can't get outside.

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

Fascinating research from @LokRenske and team on the benefits of afternoon natural light exposure to improve sleep in older men. Optimal timing was ~7h after wake up time (e.g., 7 am wake = 🌞 at 2 pm)
https://t.co/M4OTBEEzYH

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

This led to improvements in sleep quality with less fragmentation, which is common in older adults. Interestingly, morning light exposure didn't matter as much, which is something we tend to recommend.

So get outside this afternoon, and you may see improvements in your 😴!

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

Well, now afternoon 🌞 apparently matters, but for a different reason! Based on this research (more research needed for sure), there seems to be a benefit of afternoon 🌞 to increase circadian amplitude (the strength) of the circadian signal.

[Mass Youth Soccer @MAYouthSoccer]

Will it be challenging for youth soccer players to adjust to standard time this weekend? Find out with sleep scientist @Sleep4Sport.

Dr. Bender will be presenting at the 50th Anniversary Workshop on 2/3/24 at Gillette Stadium.

TIX: https://t.co/jeD2zLEfjj

#MAWorkshop #sleep

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

Thanks for having me on the show!

[Mass Youth Soccer @MAYouthSoccer]

Sleep is important for soccer players. How can they better adjust to the upcoming time change? Find out with sleep scientist, @Sleep4Sport!

https://t.co/blQVza0UAA

#soccer #sleep #timechange #podcast

[Dr. Amy M. Bender @Sleep4Sport]

@louisanicola_ That's so cool!