Caffeine Consumption, Sleep Quality and Anxiety Among College Students

Objectives: Caffeine is commonly consumed by individuals on a daily basis. It is classified as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and is frequently associated with symptoms of anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a widespread, debilitating disorder consisting of feelings of worry and increased tension. Anxiety is regulated by the amygdala, which plays an influential role on the emotions experienced during sleep. Good sleep quality supports emotional processing and promotes metabolic homeostasis. Little is known about the effects of caffeine consumption on feelings of anxiety and sleep quality in conjunction with one another among college students. Therefore, the study aims to address the relationship amongst frequent caffeine intake, sleep quality, and increased symptoms of anxiety in this population. Methods: The study includes 1,356 responses from adults ages 18 and above across the United States and around the world. The self-reported data included questions regarding caffeine consumption, sleep, and anxiety. The anonymous survey was created in Google Forms. Caffeine consumption was evaluated through The Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ) and anxiety was assessed through The Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Sleep was analyzed through The Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) and The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The data were analyzed in SPSS, Version 28.0, using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. Results: Of the individuals that felt feelings of anxiety, a positive correlation was revealed among those requiring caffeine daily (p< 0.01). There was a negative correlation between feeling refreshed after sleep and anxiety, as well as daily caffeine consumption (p< 0.01). Additionally, increased weekly caffeine consumption was negatively correlated with duration of sleep (p< 0.01). A positive correlation was also discovered between feelings of anxiety and tossing and turning in bed (p< 0.01). Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between difficulty falling back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night and requiring daily caffeine consumption. Conclusions: These findings suggest that increased caffeine consumption is associated with higher sleep disturbances and feelings of anxiety. Funding Sources: N/A.