What’s the first thing you think about when you open your eyes each morning? You’re in good company if it’s going for that first cup of coffee. If you haven’t gotten 7 hours of sleep the night before, you’ll probably look to your first cup to help power you through your morning activities. About a third of us report not getting enough sleep each night and ¾ of us reach for at least 1 cup of Joe a day. So does coffee provide an adequate substitute for the lack of sleep? It may feel that way but in reality, you’re not fooling your body.

As Arthur Brooks (an admitted coffee lover) writes in The Atlantic, “In truth, caffeine doesn’t pep you up- it simply prevents you from feeling lethargic.” In fact, when you develop “sleep deprivation” from too little sleep, there really is nothing that can make up for that, other than getting more sleep. While the caffeine in coffee may make you temporarily more alert and less tired, it won’t substitute for what your brain does during the various sleep cycles, including removing toxins and consolidating memories. A brain fueled by caffeine simply can’t make up for a lack of sleep. In fact, there’s new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine reporting that coffee drinkers – while taking an average of 1000 extra steps per day than non-coffee drinkers (which is a good thing)- also appear to have about 36 minutes of less sleep each night than non-coffee drinkers (even more sleep is lost the more coffee you drink). This study also examined the impact of coffee consumption on blood sugar levels and heart palpitations, finding no real negative effects from coffee. So, while there are definitely benefits from coffee consumption (more below), the reality is that not only will caffeinated coffee not make up for the effects of sleep loss, but it can even contribute to more sleep deprivation. To find out more, put on your pajamas and read here and here.

Yet researchers continue to find new and valuable health benefits from the consumption of coffee. While there’s no reason to fret if you don’t already indulge in coffee, there continue to be studies that highlight its positive health effects. For example, a recent study published in Nutrients found that coffee drinkers, especially those who drink 2-3 cups per day, appear to gain a significant increase in the thickness of their macular retinal nerve fiber layers. Apparently, the thinner that layer is the higher the risk of neurodegeneration. There already exists evidence that coffee or tea consumption may have protective benefits for your brain, so these findings add intrigue to that existing evidence. For more on this study, click here.

What also is becoming increasingly clear is that coffee consumption and caffeine exposure can cause different reactions in different people. There are genetic reasons to account for some of this (you can even find out your body’s specific metabolism rate for coffee to better understand how long caffeine stays in your system through one of the genetic tests such as 23andMe) but few of us are lucky to escape the sleep problems that may come from too much coffee, particularly late in the day. Experts recommend that you try to keep your coffee consumption to morning hours (especially if you experience sleep problems)- though don’t assume your morning cup of Joe is sufficient to fulfill your breakfast needs. While you may need that jolt first thing to get you going, you also need the nutrients that a balanced meal brings you at breakfast. So order the avocado toast alongside your coffee, and read more here.