Having your morning cup of coffee is a great way to start your day. But how late is too late to be drinking coffee? If you drinking coffee later in the evening, you may be risking effects on your sleep cycle and overall health.
Caffeine has a half-life of between five and seven hours. This means that it takes between five and seven hours for our body to remove half of the caffeine it has been given. This means that a double espresso taken in the late afternoon will still be affecting your body at midnight. Quite simply, the later in the evening you drink it, the more likely it is to disrupt your sleep.
Research suggests that if you plan on going to bed at 11.00pm, then you should not drink coffee after 3.00pm. Having coffee later than this can have serious impacts on your sleep. On the other hand, if you are an early morning riser then an earlier caffeine fix could be beneficial and may even help alleviate any sleep problems.
Maximum performance and alertness depends on the times that you consume caffeine, how much you consume and the activity you are doing when you drink it. Too much caffeine can lead to nervousness, palpitations, irritability and disrupted sleep. Caffeine is a drug and you can become dependent on it too. If you consume it for more than a few days consecutively you may experience ‘withdrawal symptoms’ such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
To stay healthy, it is best to limit your daily caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day – that is usually two cups of coffee. You should also avoid drinking too much close to bedtime to minimise any effect it might have on your sleep. If you do need to have a cup of coffee later in the day, be sure to choose a decaffeinated option.
Ultimately, the decision of when you should or should not drink coffee is up to you. It is important to experiment with different routines and determine what works best for you. If you make the right choices, coffee can be enjoyed at any time of the day while avoiding disrupting your sleep or having a negative effect on your health.
Caffeine Alternatives
If you are looking for caffeine alternatives to coffee, there are a few options. While not having any caffeine, herbal tea like chamomile or mint can be great non-caffeine hot drinks for in the evening. There are quite a few herbal teas that have calming effects and could help you with having a goodnight’s rest. Alternatively, having a hot chocolate with a lower sugar content can be just as satisfying as a cup of coffee.
Sensitivity to Caffeine
Everyone has different levels of sensitivity when it comes to caffeine. If you find that you are particularly sensitive, you may want to look at cutting it out altogether, or having only a very small amount in the morning. If you find that even drinking coffee late in the afternoon causes you problems, it’s probably best to not drink coffee at all or move to a decaffeinated variant. Try to become aware of how your routine is affecting you so that you can make decisions that best suit you and your lifestyle.
Caffeine Effects on Body
Caffeine’s reputation for having negative effects on the body certainly has roots in reality, though it is not as dark as its reputation may have you believe. It can have a stimulating effect, therefore it can cause your heart rate to increase, your blood pressure to rise and your digestion to be impeded. In terms of mental effects, unexpected high doses of coffee, particularly if you have abstained from coffee for a long period of time, can cause differences in mood, irritability and the feeling of being over-alert.
Caffeine as Performance Enhancing
Caffeine can be beneficial for performance, particularly at lower doses. It can help improve alertness, reaction time, focus and even decision-making, usually during short bouts of activity. For example, if you are a gym goer who likes to work out in the evening and needs a little extra push, a small cup of coffee may help by giving you an energy boost. But remember to not drink it too late in the evening in order to avoid impacting your sleep.
