Effects of caffeine consumption timing on subjective and objective sleep onset and dream recall in Indian young adults: a mixed-methods study with cultural and occupational moderators
Sleep Science and Practice March 29, 2026 Sagar Bayaskar, Deepak Sharma
Late caffeine intake (after 6 PM) among Indian young adults prolongs both perceived and objective sleep onset and reduces dream recall. In a mixed-methods study of 200 participants aged 18–35 from Maharashtra, India, 57.5% reported late caffeine intake, driven by academic deadlines (67.5% of students) and extended work hours (50.8% of professionals). Those with late intake perceived sleep onset latency as 46.2 ± 12.1 minutes versus 19.8 ± 6.3 minutes for early/no late intake; actigraphy confirmed objective delays (29.4 vs. 16.1 minutes). Dream recall frequency dropped from 5.6 ± 1.1 to 2.9 ± 1.4 days per week with late intake. Students showed greater vulnerability. Shifting intake earlier is proposed as a culturally acceptable intervention.