When is the best time to drink coffee?

CAFFEINE AND THE EFFECTS OF DRINKING COFFEE

There are many tempting reasons to drink coffee. It gives us a boost of energy during the day and a nice excuse to stop for a moment at work and chat with colleagues. A cup of coffee also offers benefits for our bodies.

Research has shown that it reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It also provides us with a wealth of antioxidants and vitamins. You can read more about coffee and its effects on health in our article Coffee and Health.

But there is a downside to everything. Even coffee. After regularly drinking more than 5 cups a day, the body builds up a tolerance to caffeine. In other words, one has to drink more and more to satisfy the body with enough caffeine. Which is definitely not healthy. And what about the feeling when you don't have coffee at all?

If you have experienced some of the symptoms of excessive coffee drinking like headaches, nervousness, irritability, it means that you are already a bit of a coffeeholic and have a coffee addiction problem. Coffee in large quantities is not healthy. In fact, too much of everything is bad for you. Unfortunately, even coffee.

WHAT DOES COFFEE DO TO US IN THE MORNING?

The first coffee of the morning is often the first thing that comes to our stomach. However, from the point of view of proper sugar levels, it is ideal to have a bite to eat before your morning cup of coffee. If you want to get the most out of your coffee to give you the most energy, it's best not to drink your first cup of coffee right after you wake up.

According to scientific research, it's best to drink coffee when your body's cortisol levels are low. This is because both caffeine and cortisol cause a stress response in your body, and too much stress is bad for your health. In addition, it could cause more fatigue in the long run.

SINCE WHEN CAN I DRINK COFFEE?

The stress hormone cortisol is released in accordance with circadian rhythms. The level of cortisol and circadian rhythms are, of course, a little different for each person. However, it is true for everyone that cortisol levels start to rise as soon as you start moving in the morning.

This means that the ideal time to drink coffee is not first thing in the morning, as your cortisol levels are at their peak. The addition of caffeine stimulates high cortisol levels, paradoxically dampening them. Moreover, if you drink caffeine at a time when you don't need it at all, you build up a resistance to it more quickly and its effects don't really affect you then.

For example, if you get up at 6.30am, cortisol production peaks between 8am and 9am. So you'd better plan your morning coffee break between 9:00 and 12:00. This is when cortisol levels drop, so you can boost your energy and fight off fatigue with caffeine in the form of coffee.

A cup of coffee in the morning can be a motivator for the day. However, remember that in addition to the great taste, you also have a lot of caffeine in your cup of coffee. Therefore, find the perfect time for your first cup of coffee in accordance with your body's natural morning routine. Image Source: Canva for

HOW COFFEE WORKS BEFORE BEDTIME

Caffeine gives us energy. However, we need to know when to have our last cup of coffee during the day so that it doesn't interfere with our sleep afterwards. So how does it work?

A study was conducted at Henry Ford Hospital and Wayne State College of Medicine research centers that study sleep disorders. Here they analyzed the impact of caffeine on sleep by time of day.

They found that if caffeine was taken 6 hours before sleep, the amount of sleep was disrupted over an hour. This is because caffeine slows down the production of the hormone melatonin. A lack of melatonin causes insomnia. People who are more sensitive to caffeine should not drink coffee that way even in the afternoon.

If you're the kind of person who can have a cup of coffee right before bed and fall asleep as if nothing happened, you're still not out of luck. Even though you can fall asleep immediately, caffeine is constantly circulating in your body and your body doesn't get any rest during sleep. This can make you wake up in the morning much more tired than when you went to bed.