Coffee enthusiasts will find this to be a tough order. According to clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Michael Breus, giving up coffee early in the day is the most effective strategy to reduce insomnia.
“Drinking coffee after noon is the biggest mistake coffee drinkers make that affects sleep,” he said to Well+Good this week.
Breus continued, “caffeine can interfere with sleep and increase your risk of insomnia because it can have a long-lasting stimulant effect.”
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If the thought of giving up your afternoon cup is too much for you to handle, Breus suggests extending the deadline to 2 p.m.
He said, “Experts generally advise avoiding caffeine for at least eight hours prior to bed, but you can modify this based on your own sensitivity to caffeine.”
Approximately 80% of US individuals drink caffeine daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and studies indicate that the first sip is the strongest.
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The body absorbs 99% of caffeine in 45 minutes after consumption. However, the half-life of that caffeine varies from 1.5 to 9.5 hours, meaning it takes your body that long to break it down to half of its initial dose.
Due to its competitive nature with adenosine, a naturally occurring substance in the body that promotes tiredness, caffeine may make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that builds up in the body during the day and aids in the control of sleep-wake cycles. This process is disturbed by caffeine, which keeps us up when it’s time to go to bed.
It is noteworthy that each person metabolizes caffeine in a unique way.
The amount of time that caffeine keeps you wired varies depending on your genetics; some people can get by on one cup, while others need to drink a full pot.
Although caffeine and sleep are negatively correlated, coffee still has a number of health advantages.
Coffee, a well-known mood enhancer, has also been demonstrated to help with weight control and lower the risk of heart failure, cancer, and even Type 2 diabetes.
According to Breus, the secret to achieving these benefits is to adhere to an early afternoon cutoff time and avoid sugary foods, which aggravate sleep cycles and cause inflammation.
Experts like Breus also suggest waiting 90 minutes after getting up to have your first cup of coffee.
It is believed that delaying for this hour and a half can assist balance hormones, especially cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone.
Functional dietitian and digestive health specialist Abigail Hueber told Well+Good that “[the] rise and fall of cortisol [after waking up] represents a healthy nervous system and actually has a big influence over our immune health and even risk of autoimmune development.”
“Caffeine consumption should be avoided for the first 90 minutes of the day in order to support our energy levels throughout the day and to help promote the most balanced [cortisol-awakening response].”