This may not come as a surprise – but now we know for sure: People who regularly consume sodas and energy drinks are more likely to be sleep-deprived. That’s according to a new survey of 18,000 adults by UC San Francisco… which found that people who usually slept about five hours a night, which is considered “short sleep” drank 21% more caffeinated, sugary beverages than people who got 7 to 8 hours of sleep. 

And that’s a problem because other studies have linked short sleep with higher blood pressure and stress, increased levels of inflammation in the body, even poor kidney function. The researchers believe it’s because when your blood sugar is really high, your kidneys work overtime to get rid of it – which means you’re waking up repeatedly to pee. And because you’re sleep-deprived, you turn to highly-caffeinated energy drinks to get through the next day, which impacts your sleep the next night. So it’s a vicious cycle.  

Bottom line: Want a better night’s sleep? Cut back on sugary, caffeinated foods and beverages.

Follow me on Facebook