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Is there such a thing as the best time to drink coffee and the perfect amount of caffeine?
Scientists believe there is, and have developed an algorithm that tells people the exact amount of caffeine they need and when to drink it to stay alert when suffering the effects of sleep loss.
The work, sponsored by the US military, involved mathematical modelling, data processing and automated problem-solving tasks performed by the computer.
The researchers from the US Army gathered data from four existing experimental studies of sleep loss.
They looked at participants’ psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) performances – tests that measure reaction times – in relation to various doses of caffeine.
According to the team, the algorithm cut caffeine intake by up to 65%, while alertness increased by up to 64%.
Jaques Reifman, from the US Army’s Advanced Technology Research Centre in Maryland, said: “We found that by using our algorithm, which determines when and how much caffeine a subject should consume, we can improve alertness by up to 64%, while consuming the same total amount of caffeine.
“Alternatively, a subject can reduce caffeine consumption by up to 65% and still achieve equivalent improvements in alertness.”
The researchers say their results suggest the algorithm can be tailored to an individual’s sleeping and waking schedules to maximise the benefits.
Mr Reifman said: “Our algorithm is the first quantitative tool that provides automated, customised guidance for safe and effective caffeine dosing to maximise alertness at the most needed times during any sleep-loss condition.”
The research is published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
