To Coffee or Not to Coffee

Ahh, coffee. Even the smell of a fresh pot brewing first thing in the morning can turn a rough morning into a cheery one. That first cup can keep us alert during a long commute to work. It can keep us from dozing off during a Monday morning meeting. For some, a midday cup revitalizes for a productive afternoon.

But isn’t this bitter, caffeinated beverage the enemy of sleep? Not necessarily! It’s less a question of “to coffee or not to coffee” and more a question of HOW to coffee.

Morning is the most typical time to imbibe coffee, but for those who are caffeine fanatics, coffee drinking can continue on throughout the entire day. It may temporarily perk you up in the late afternoon and evening, but drink it too late, and it becomes counterproductive. The later you drink it, the more you can disrupt your sleep, and the more tired you will be in the morning. Many suggest drinking coffee no later than 2pm so coffee and sleep can have a harmonious relationship.

Especially for the biggest coffee lovers, going cold turkey later in the day can be difficult. For those who don’t want to experience caffeine withdrawals, try slowly switching to less caffeinated alternatives, such as teas. If it’s the taste you would be missing, try decaffeinated or one of our favorites, Teeccino, a coffee alternative. These are some of the options of lessening your consumption without missing out.

Most people can handle between 300 to 400 mg of caffeine a day. But you may not be most people. To find out how much caffeine you should be in-taking per day, try out this fun caffeine calculator. It will tell you based on your weight what is the recommended amount of coffee you should be consuming. If you try to stick to this or less than this on a daily basis and drink it at the correct time, sleep should come easy.

Now kick back, relax and enjoy your cup of joe (before 2 p.m.)!