Why shouldn't you drink coffee immediately after waking up in the morning and before going to sleep at night?

For many people in contemporary society, tea for some and coffee for others has become an indispensable beverage to start the day. Today, we are talking about coffee.

While many have made it a habit to enjoy a warm cup of coffee immediately after waking up, it is crucial to manage the timing of coffee consumption to gain maximum benefits for the body. According to experts, the most suitable time to drink coffee is mid-morning, typically between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM. Although this timing depends on an individual's wake-up time and their body's sensitivity to caffeine, the general standard is that consuming coffee one and a half to three hours after waking up is most effective. The primary scientific reason for this is the natural hormonal process in our body. Upon waking in the morning, our body's cortisol hormone level is high. This hormone naturally helps keep us alert. However, around 9:30 AM, this hormone level gradually begins to drop, and consuming coffee at that time can provide a more powerful and smoother energy boost to the body.

Many people are accustomed to drinking coffee immediately after waking up, within the first 30 to 60 minutes. However, according to scientific facts, this is not a very wise practice. This is because your cortisol level is naturally very high immediately after waking up. Drinking coffee at such a time does not allow its stimulating properties to be felt as much, and over time, the body develops a tolerance to caffeine. Moreover, providing a stimulant when cortisol is already high can lead to unnecessary jitteriness or restlessness. Therefore, researchers suggest that if you wake up between 6 AM and 8 AM, it is best to drink your first cup of coffee between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. This simple change can help you stay more active throughout the day.

Coffee can also be used to overcome the feeling of fatigue that many experience in the afternoon. Specifically, to manage the post-lunch dip, it is not wrong to have a light or moderate cup of coffee between 1 PM and 3 PM. You must ensure that this does not interfere with your night's sleep. Also, some individuals use coffee to get an extra boost before exercising. It has been found that drinking coffee 30 to 60 minutes before an afternoon workout can enhance performance. However, this is not mandatory, and it is always important to limit caffeine intake to avoid disrupting nighttime sleep.

To achieve sound sleep, strict attention must be paid to the times when coffee should be consumed and when it should be avoided. Sleep experts emphasize that it is extremely important to stop drinking coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed. A controlled study revealed that even consuming 400 mg of caffeine (approximately 3-4 cups of coffee) 6 hours before sleep can reduce total sleep time by more than an hour and impair sleep quality. Drinking coffee in the evening and at night, typically after 5 or 6 PM, can lead to difficulty falling asleep, lack of deep sleep, and frequent awakenings during sleep. If you go to bed around 10 PM or 11 PM, it is wise to avoid drinking coffee after 4 PM or 5 PM.

Looking at how caffeine works in the body, its half-life appears to be between 3 and 7 hours. This means that even many hours after you drink coffee, about half of the caffeine content may still be active in your bloodstream. For this reason, many sleep experts advise stopping all caffeine consumption 6-8 hours before you plan to go to sleep. If you already have problems with insomnia or sleep quality, this interval should be further extended. Current sleep organizations recommend that individuals with sleep-related issues should completely abstain from caffeine at least 8 hours before bedtime. Individuals highly sensitive to caffeine may need to stop drinking coffee 10-12 hours before sleep or completely give up afternoon coffee. For example, if you go to bed at 10 PM, it is best to have your last cup of coffee between 12 PM and 2 PM, and ensure it is not after 4 PM. If you go to bed at midnight, you can have your last cup of coffee between 2 PM and 4 PM, but you should avoid it after 6 PM.

It is also important to get used to using other alternative healthy beverages and methods instead of coffee to overcome afternoon fatigue. Light exercise, adequate water intake, and nutritious small meals can boost energy in the evening. Choosing beverages like Green tea or Matcha instead of coffee introduces a lower amount of caffeine into the body, and the L-theanine amino acid they contain provides a calm and stable state of alertness. Also, drinking Chai (spiced tea) helps with digestion and blood sugar control, providing a smooth energy boost. Fermented teas like Kombucha contain B vitamins and probiotics, making them beneficial for gut health and mental clarity.

When focusing on caffeine-free alternatives, herbal teas such as peppermint, rooibos, or hibiscus can refresh the body and aid digestion without caffeine. A drink like "Golden milk," made by mixing turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon with milk, provides a warm and calming sensation to the body while also helping to reduce inflammation and fatigue. Drinking orange water with a little lemon can help maintain electrolyte balance and prevent dehydration, which often quickly relieves afternoon fatigue. In addition to beverages, light movements such as a brisk 5-10 minute walk, stretching, or climbing stairs can increase blood circulation and help you stay awake. Eating a snack with protein and fat, such as an apple with peanut butter, nuts, or yogurt, can stabilize blood sugar levels, thereby preventing sudden energy drops. Going near a window to expose yourself to bright light and drinking a glass of water can also help dispel drowsiness within a short period of about 15 minutes.

Understanding the scientific background of how caffeine works is also important. Caffeine blocks a chemical called adenosine in the brain. Adenosine is the signal that tells us we need sleep. Because caffeine molecules are similar in shape to adenosine molecules, they bind to adenosine receptors (especially A2A receptors), preventing the brain from receiving the signal that causes drowsiness. When adenosine is blocked in this way, the brain circuits that help us stay awake become more active, and the levels of other chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine increase. This leads to staying awake for several hours, improved mood, and faster reaction times. However, it is important to remember that this is an artificially induced state.

There is also a direct link between caffeine use and stress. If you abstain from coffee for a few days and then suddenly consume it again, your body's cortisol hormone levels can clearly rise. This can last for 3 to 6 hours even when at rest. While daily coffee drinkers may develop some tolerance to this effect, repeated coffee consumption throughout the day can continuously keep cortisol levels elevated, especially in the afternoon. While the pure energy from moderate coffee consumption at the right time is beneficial, excessive or frequent consumption can lead to continuously high cortisol levels, causing restlessness, rapid heart rate, anxiety, or a "tired but wired" state at night. Therefore, treating coffee consumption as both an art and a science, and using it in accordance with your body's natural rhythm, is essential for a healthy lifestyle.
(Source: NDTV Health)