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" Many people drink coffee in a bid to help them stay awake and alert. But a new study has revealed that the caffeine drink could be keeping you awake for more reasons than you might think. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee that works to block the onset of drowsiness. It also stimulates certain parts of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling bodily functions such as breathing, the heartbeat and digestive processes. A team of researchers from the University of Surrey and the Medical Research Council&amp;#039;s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge set out to investigate the relationship between caffeine and the body&amp;#039;s internal clock.In the first part of the study, cells were grown in a dish and exposed to caffeine. It was noted that the drug altered the chemical composition in each cell of the human body.During the next phase of the study, five people from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US were retained in a sleep laboratory for 50 days. Since light exposure is the main way to control our body clock, the majority of their time in the laboratory was spent in very dim light.Over the course of the 50 days, the participants took part in a number of experiments. The researchers found that drinking a double espresso three hours before bedtime delayed the production of the sleep hormone melatonin by about 40 minutes.Speaking to BBC News, John O&amp;#039;Neill - lead researcher of the study - said the findings could help to treat some sleep disorders and people who naturally wake up too early. Derk-Jan Dijk, from the University of Surrey, added: &amp;quot;Individuals differ in their sensitivity to caffeine, and if coffee drinkers experience problems with falling asleep, they may try to avoid drinking coffee in the afternoon and evening.&amp;quot; The study has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a25745/why-does-coffee-keep-us-awake/>