DeKALB | Drew Creal usually feels sleepy at about 5 p.m. To reenergize, he drinks coffee or an energy drink.

Creal, a freshman journalism major, said he consumes caffeine at least two to three times daily in the form of coffee or a Monster energy drink.

Like Creal, about 50 percent of Americans consume about 300 milligrams of caffeine per day on average, said Steve Lux, health educator for Health Enhancement.

“People use it because it works, and it does allow them to stay awake and stay alert,” Lux said. “In terms of college students, [they] have long used caffeine to study longer.”

Sheena Elzie, a senior journalism major, said she only consumes caffeine to stay up late studying.

“If I have a test or something that I have to study for, I will get a cappuccino and stay up all night,” Elzie said.

Elzie said she does not consume caffeine on a daily basis, and instead, tries to go to bed by midnight to feel energized throughout the day.

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that can be used with a fair amount of safety, Lux said. Though caffeine is legal and mild, it can still be abused.

“There are some people that have an unhealthy relationship with caffeine because they need it to function,” Lux said. “They aren’t in control of their caffeine use as much as [it’s] in control of them. But I think those are few and far between.”

There is also hidden caffeine in certain foods and beverages that the consumer might not always be aware of, Lux said. Though coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks are mainly associated with caffeine, certain medications may also contain caffeine. This may include over-the-counter pain-relievers that can have anywhere from 30 to 200 milligrams of caffeine, he said.

Caffeine mimics the brain chemical adenosine and fills up the receptors adenosine normally attaches to, he said. This causes the cells to speed up and the individual to become less sleepy.

“Like most drugs, [caffeine] tends to work best when it’s used sparingly,” Lux said. “For somebody who’s consuming lots of caffeine, [their body] becomes habituated to it. So, when they need an extra boost in terms of staying alert, they have a hard time without consuming more caffeine.”

Some of the negative side effects of caffeine consumption include overstimulation, stomach and digestive irritation and insomnia. In the case of insomnia, Lux recommends that people try to do something calming until the caffeine is out of their system and they grow drowsy.

Many times, people feel sleepy and sluggish due to eating a lot of food or a meal heavy in carbohydrates, he said. When studying, students should take a study break and do mild exercise to increase their energy.

“It can be anything from jumping jacks in your room to going up and down a flight of stairs,” Lux said. “Just do something to change the environment and get your body moving.”