If I were a mouse, I would sue all the people who do experiments on my kin. But since I am not a mouse, I am here writing about yet another experiment that has mice in the middle of their early success.
This one has to do with coffee. How often do you get to read about mice and coffee in the same sentence?
Apparently, some researchers have been working hard studying mice that were either well rested and others that were sleep-deprived.
Coffee is good for your health according to experts.
The two samples of mice were then exposed to different kinds of stimulation like cold, pressure and even a hot plate.
Guess what the researchers found?
The mice that were sleep deprived had more sensitivity to pain.
According to the lead author, Chloe Alexandre, five consecutive days of moderate sleep deprivation aggravated pain sensitivity in otherwise healthy mice.
Those that were well rested had less pain.
Simply put? Treat yourself to some good rest and pain will not know your door. Exhaustion as a result of sleep deprivation is bad for your health.
And now, hold your breath for this one. Mice that were exposed to ”wake-promoting agents” like caffeine had more relief compared to those that were given the painkiller Ibrufen and morphine.
Of course, this has not been tried in humans but the suggestion is that the use of painkillers may not be as effective as we think and a cuppa coffee may deliver the desired dose of relief.
The research in Nature Medicine notes:
Moderate daily repeated sleep loss leads to a progressive accumulation of sleep debt and also to exaggerated pain responses, both of which are rescued after restoration of normal sleep
So much has been said about the benefits of coffee in protecting against various diseases including dementia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, deafness, some cancers and even Alzheimers.
As you wait for the outcome when this is finally tried on humans, your body will thank you if you take good care of it by offering it some really good rest.
Perhaps even pain will bid you goodbye. You won’t know it until you try.
The recommended hours of a good nights sleep is 9-10 hours daily for adults, you can read this for more information.
Age group Recommended amount of sleep
Newborns 14 to 17 hours a day
12 months About 10 hours at night, plus 4 hours of naps
2 years About 11 to 12 hours at night, plus a 1- to 2-hour afternoon nap
3 to 5 years 10 to 13 hours
6 to 13 years 9 to 11 hours
14 to 17 years 8 to 10 hours
