Can caffiene cause premature waking

I have been waking earlier and earlier so that I am now regularly waking at 3.  I try hard not to nap in the day but sometimes find my eyes shutting for 5 mins.  After I wake I sometimes doze but sometimes am wide awake.

I go to bed any time between 9 and 11 depending on how tired I am and usually get to sleep quickly.  The time I wake is not affected by the time I go to bed.  However going to bed at 8 is not conducive to a strong relationship with my husband!

I have not touch alcohol for ages but do have tea/coffee.  I have to be able to work and take care of 3 kids so I need to keep awake.  I thought if the caffeine was a problem I would have problems going to sleep which I don't.

The GP gave me sleeping tablets which I took for 3 days, felt better but then got nightmares.  I don't want to take anymore.  He then gave me something he said had the side effect of making me drowsy and so stay asleep.  It didn't work!

Would caffeine have this sort of affect?

[Glyptic]

It could, but not necessarily. Caffeine affects different people differently. Have you always had tea/coffee like you do now? If so, you might have already developed some degree of tolerance to it, so I don't think caffeine is likely to be the cause of your symptoms. On the other hand, it could have begun to affect you that way even if you were accustomed to it. I'd suggest trying to stop consuming caffeine for a while to see what happens. Might have something to do with your diet, too. And stress might be an important factor as well; taking care of three kids, working and maintaining a good relationship with your husband simultaneously must be difficult.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Its unlikely that caffeine could have that effect of waking up early. But you could still avoid it in the evenings or night time. Try not to nap and try to sleep later and see if your symptoms improve. Also, exercise in the daytime, this promotes good sleep.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.