Three years ago, Justin Zheng, an entrepreneur from San Francisco, lay in bed while a group of venture capitalists twirled their fingers, waiting for him. “I completely forgot that this meeting was scheduled,” Zheng recalls. After his no-show, they forgot about him – and about the opportunity to support his startup.
Zheng, 25, has had difficulty waking up in the morning for as long as he can remember. However, about a year ago, he heard about a supplement designed to give a boost to your morning step. Known as time-release caffeine tablets, they are taken right before bed and the caffeine stays asleep until you need to get out of bed.
Zheng's difficulties with awakening, called sleep inertiawidespread. More than 15% of Americans According to one analysis, he has a severe form, while many others suffer from time to time.
“There is huge variability among people when it comes to sleep inertia,” says Hans-Peter Landolt, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Zurich who has studied slow-release caffeine tablets. “Some people suffer for hours every morning.”
Here's what you need to know about slow-release caffeine pills and whether they work.
How pills fight sleep inertia
ABOUT 1 in 3 adults don't get enough sleep. These shortcomings can undermine your health, increased risk chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and anxiety.
Several factors contribute to poor sleep, some of which are largely outside of our control, including modern work and school schedules. They often disrupt natural circadian rhythms, especially in teenagers And young people. Some people in the mood to stay up late but “have to get up at 7 a.m. every day,” says Jason Jin, founder of Zest, a company that sells time-release caffeine pills. “They are constantly fighting against their own biology.”
Most people have trouble waking up early, but it's even more debilitating when you awaken abruptly from deep slow-wave sleep. This happens if your alarm goes off early while you are still sleep deprived. The resulting fatigue may take two to four hours gradually disappear as parts of the brain gradually return to function.
Zest isn't the only company that makes slow-release caffeine pills to combat this problem. Formulations vary, but for most, once you swallow the tablet, the outer shell remains intact for several hours, allowing you to fall asleep. Once your body breaks it down, caffeine begins to affect you. (Morning, sunshine.)
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In 2021, before the formation of these companies, Landolt studied a prototype of such a pill to see if it would actually work. “The effect was exactly what you would expect,” he says, “peaking seven hours after taking it, just before waking up.” The co-author of this pilot study founded a company called Galventa, which sells slow-release caffeine tablets. (Landolt himself has no financial interest in any supplements.)
As morning coffee lovers know, you don't need pills to have a good morning mood. But for people with sleep inertia, the high from coffee doesn't come quickly enough. “They have to wait about 30 minutes for the caffeine to actually reach the brain to start feeling less tired,” Landolt says. By that time, they are already at risk of being late for the bus or an important meeting.
Gene believes that added benefits are rooted in our psychology. You can wake up rested create momentum for your morning. For example, feeling energized and glowing may motivate you to make your bed, and the resulting sense of self-efficacy may strengthen your desire to go for a run, setting the stage for a healthy breakfast. “You start accumulating wins that make you feel grounded, and your day becomes much better as a result,” says Jean.
Better sleep quality and smoother awakening
Landolt's research did reveal a potential downside: Because the tablet's coating around the caffeine gradually broke down during sleep, he explains, small amounts of caffeine would drip into the bloodstream hours before expected awakening. According to Landolt, this caffeine was not enough to make people wake up, but it did impair the quality of sleep.
Galventa sprays polymers around the caffeine, ensuring “zero caffeine enters the bloodstream until the seventh hour,” says Sascha Fritsche, the company's co-founder and CEO. At this point, Fritsche says, the caffeine is released gradually, providing a more consistent, long-lasting high without a daytime crash.
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Gin's company, Zest, has developed pills to help you wake up smoother and more peacefully, without the jitters associated with caffeine. “Caffeine itself can be a little harsh,” says Jean. The Zest tablet contains L-theanine, the active compound in green tea, for a milder high.
It should be noted that delayed-release caffeine tablets are sold in the US as supplements, not for treatment, so companies are not required to prove safety or effectiveness.
Trial and error
Gene, like some of his clients, struggled with sleep inertia his entire life. In college, he kept an energy drink next to his bed so he could drink it immediately after his alarm went off. “Then I went back to sleep for 30 minutes,” hoping for a happier awakening. It never came; he just kept hitting the snooze button. “Dozing made me even more disoriented and increased sleep inertia,” he says. “Founding my company had a lot to do with solving my own pain points.”
However, people have different levels of tolerance for caffeine and his metabolic rate. “Everyone's biochemistry is different,” explains Michael Grandner, director of the sleep health research program at the University of Arizona.
Zheng, a San Francisco resident, says he takes caffeine slow-release pills every other day or so, in part to avoid developing a caffeine tolerance that could later dull the effects of his energy drinks. He says they're especially helpful in the evening before early meetings or travel.
Fritsche takes his company's pills about twice a week—for example, when he plans to hit the slopes early to beat the crowds.
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Don't try these pills for the first time before an important morning activity, Grandner says. A little trial and error will help determine how well you'll sleep and when caffeine will wake you up. “At least practice with it a couple of times,” he says.
You may find that you wake up too early or the end of the dream is too shallow—like a movie you liked until the terrible last scene—and it ruins the whole experience, says Grandner.
And it's not for children, says Fritsche American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children limit caffeine; Teenagers should take no more than 100 mg per day, according to the group. For both Galventa and Zest, each tablet contains 40 mg, which is about half as much as 8 ounces. cup of coffee Also, use with caution if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have any medical conditions.
Food is another variable to consider. People in Landolt's study who ate shortly before bed and took pills slept the worst, Landolt says. Fritzsche says improvements to Galventa's tablet coatings have solved this problem, and the timing of meals does not affect results.
Some influencers claim that if caffeine circulates in the body too close to the moment of waking, it blocks the natural rise of cortisol, an important hormone for daily health, and that it suppresses the brain's ability to clear receptors for wakefulness. However, Grandner says little evidence supports these ideas. Landolt's research showed “the exact opposite.” Other studies discovers that, when taken regularlycaffeine doesn't change a person in the first place cortisol rhythm.
Jean and Fritsche say their clients tend to be working parents, shift workers and others with early work schedules. “We're happy to help anyone struggling with low morning energy,” says Jean.
Try improving your sleep hygiene first
For severe sleep inertia, “behavioral interventions can certainly be as or more effective than these pills,” Landolt says.
If you are attracted to sleep supplements because worry about poor sleep“It's better to address the underlying concern directly,” says Grandner.
The inertia of sleep is worsened due to a general sleep deficit, so the best solution is to simply sleep more if you can. “Consistent sleep hygiene is probably the most important thing,” Fritsche says.
Grandner recommends an often overlooked aspect of sleep hygiene and healthy circadian rhythms: exposure early morning light. But there's a catch: morning light can't do much unless it's mixed with another important element. Research showing According to Grandner, light exposure works best as a circadian signal when it is combined with a short workout. At least in other mammals, changes in oxygen levels resulting from exercise can signal awakening.
“Get outside or turn on as many bright lights as possible inside and get moving,” Grandner says. You can sleep better, get out of bed early the next day and start racking up wins, no pills required.
