Volume 30, Issue 171, May 2026

Impact of energy drink consumption on sleep quality among university students: A systematic review

Jakub Szyszkowski^♦, Izabella Zawadzka, Natalia Kriese, Bartłomiej Kowalski, Zuzanna Zgrzywa, Ewelina Komorowska, Brygida Tucka, Paulina Wądołowska, Jakub Jaworski, Tomasz Kucharski

Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Jakub Szyszkowski, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091, Warsaw, Poland

ABSTRACT

University life puts enormous pressure on students, which means they have to constantly compromise on their studies over healthy sleep. To push through the resulting exhaustion and keep their focus sharp, many turn to energy drink. The heavy doses of caffeine in these beverages—alongside active stimulants like taurine and guarana—end up seriously disrupting the body is natural sleep mechanics. Aim: This review analyze the current medical knowledge and literature on the impact of regular energy drink consumption on sleep quality among university students. Materials and Methods: To construct this review, we searched three major databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Our analysis was limited to articles originally published in English. Results: Heavy energy drink use actively destroys sleep. Compared to non-consumers, regular users spend far more time tossing and turning before finally dropping off (increased sleep latency). Once asleep, they get fewer total hours and wake up feeling much less rested. Physiologically, the massive caffeine load essentially hijacks the brain is adenosine receptors, shutting down the natural chemical signals needed to initiate rest. Conclusions: It is clear that relying on energy drinks is a primary—and avoidable— driver of insomnia on campus. Given the direct link between sleep and grades, colleges cannot afford to ignore this. Instead of just giving general advice, we should be teaching students about the physiological costs of caffeine addiction and showing them how to manage their energy without burning out.

Keywords: Energy drinks, Sleep Quality, University Students, Caffeine, Sleep Latency

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e86ms3871

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Published: 15 May 2026