Caffeine can certainly mask the effects of sleep deprivation by waking you up, but you still need real sleep to refresh your mind and body. In this video, sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, explains why caffeine cannot make up for a lack of sleep.
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So one of the questions that I get asked all the time is can I replace my sleep with caffeine? Let me tell you something, you just can't fool mother nature. While caffeine can mask the effects of sleep deprivation, you still need that sleep that you'e been missing, so no, no, no.
Caffeine does not replace sleep in any way, shape or form. If anything it can actually enhance sleep deprivation because once you come down from that caffeine crash you're really beat.
Michael J. Breus, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He specializes in sleep disorders and is one of only 163 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction.
