This is an idea supported by several influencers: Do not drink coffee as soon as you open your eyes, delay the caffeine for 1.5-2 hours, you will start to wake up more naturally, you will not crash and sleep as much as in the afternoon. better.
However, scientists studying the caffeine-sleep connection say that while the practice may have some benefits, there isn’t much research to support it. Experts warn that in some cases, the risks of delaying caffeine in the morning may outweigh the potential benefits.
How caffeine works and how long it lasts
During the day, our body produces a chemical called adenosine, which binds to receptors in the brain and makes us feel sleepy. Caffeine wakes us up by blocking these receptors, Marilyn Cornelis, a caffeine researcher at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, told The New York Times.
Michael Granner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, says that we don’t feel the stimulating effects of caffeine on the first sip. It takes about 20-30 minutes for caffeine to absorb into the bloodstream, reach the brain, and make us feel more alert.
How long caffeine’s effects last “varies significantly” from person to person.
“Everyone reacts to caffeine differently,” she says.
Advantages and disadvantages
Adenosine levels in our brain decrease when we sleep, Grandner says, and are at their lowest when we open our eyes. So caffeine has nothing to fight.
This can be a reason to justify choosing to drink coffee later.
Another possible reason to delay your morning coffee is if you only want to drink it once a day, Cornelis says. In this case, delaying your morning coffee can, in turn, delay the drop in energy levels that many of us experience in the afternoon.
Besides, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to drink your coffee as soon as you wake up, says Grandner.
While there are those who argue that early morning coffee disrupts our body’s normal wake-up process by inhibiting the natural rise of cortisol, there isn’t much data to support this idea. Neurobiologist Allison Brager says that several small studies examining caffeine’s effects on cortisol have found that those who regularly consume caffeine have no significant effect on morning cortisol levels.
The reality is that many people don’t get enough sleep, so if you need to wake up early in the morning, caffeine can be a lifesaver, he explains. Studies show that caffeine can improve mental clarity and physical performance. For soldiers driving heavy trucks, firefighters or surgeons working the night shift, caffeine lag “can be a recipe for disaster,” he said.
Granner says you can also have a second cup of coffee (or another source of caffeine) if your energy levels dip in the afternoon. Avoid drinking coffee up to six hours before bed (or 8 to 12 hours if you have trouble falling asleep), she adds.
If you feel like you need caffeine to function during the day, consider seeing a sleep specialist, as you may have a treatable disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
He adds that coffee and tea don’t just give us caffeine, they’re also great sources of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds, which may explain some of our health benefits.
Coffee also helps many people have regular bowel movements. For many, the morning coffee ritual is a simple but important pleasure. What could be better than that?