Many of us drink coffee or some other form of caffeinated drinks almost daily. So do I. Caffeine-rich beverages and food items surround us. They have become an integral part of our lives. Tea and coffee help us through the day and even act as comfort drinks.

It is mostly safe to drink coffee and tea unless you overdo it. A few cups of caffeine will not kill you but can make you feel jittery.

Frankly, as long as you drink caffeine moderately you should be fine.

But, we do need to keep in mind that:

• Drinking too much caffeine has side effects, and
• Drinking coffee beyond a time limit can disturb your sleep.

So, When Should Be Your Last Cup Of Coffee Or Tea Of The Day And Why

There are no official recommended values for this. The only general advice shared is to avoid coffee too close to bedtime. But when should be your last cup of caffeine?

Let us see what research has to say:

• In a study, drinking coffee 0, 3, and 6 hours before bedtime was found to have a significant effect on sleep. Caffeine intake even 6 hours before bedtime reduced sleep duration for more than 1 hour.
• A review of 24 studies concluded that caffeine consumption reduced total sleep time by at least 45 minutes, reduced sleep efficacy, and increased the time needed for you to fall asleep. It also suggests restricting caffeine intake 8.8 hours prior and standard pre-workout caffeinated supplements (217.5mg) 13.2 hours before bedtime can help negate the effects of caffeine on sleep.
• The amount of time it takes for our body to eliminate caffeine from our body ranges from 1.5 to 9.5 hours, as per studies. The average is about 5 hours. Caffeine can hamper your sleep as long as it stays in your body.

With this initial evidence, we can conclude that caffeine can potentially disturb your sleep even when consumed 6 hours before bedtime. And with the studies we have so far, we can conclude your last cup of caffeine should be 8–10 hours before bedtime, because that’s how long it takes our body to eliminate caffeine from our system.

So, whenever is your bedtime, 8–10 hours before that should be your last cup of coffee. A good practice would be to avoid coffee after noon.

Why Is It Important?

Restricting caffeine intake is important because caffeine hampers sleep, and a lack of sleep is bad for health.

I often hear people say: but I can go to sleep even when I do drink caffeine in the evening or before bedtime.

Two things can happen when you drink coffee or tea late in the evening:

• you will have difficulty falling asleep and/or
• you will fall asleep, but the quality of your sleep won’t be as good.

Just because you can fall asleep even after consuming coffee does not mean your sleep is not getting affected.

When I was in college, I used to consume a lot of caffeine in the evening and still manage to sleep. As I recall now, I did have poor-quality sleep back then, but I also had a higher ability to push through the day with poor-quality sleep. So, I did not feel the impact as much back then.

Now, just a few years after college, I can feel how easily caffeine disturbs the quality of my sleep. I can also see some of the issues that I developed back then and still struggle with because of long-term sleep deprivation. I was overwhelmed, developed memory issues, and even gained a lot of weight.

So, do not let this belief that just because you can sleep well despite drinking caffeine, it is not affecting your sleep (and therefore your health). It is.

You can still drink coffee and enjoy its benefits but with caution.

Unfortunately, in a world where hustle culture is a thing, sleep often takes a backseat. Honestly, you can see the side-effects of not getting good quality sleep very easily around you and in you.

The Side Effects Of Poor Sleep

You can get the recommended amount of sleep each night, but if the quality of your sleep is not good, you will still experience the side effects of poor sleep.

Sleep Quality Is As Important As Sleep Quantity

Without proper sleep, your body will not be able to repair and heal well, your productivity will be affected, and you will always be at risk of developing major health issues in the long term.

Short-term side effects — which can manifest with just one night of improper sleep — include poor cognitive performance. Inability to focus and concentrate, difficulty learning new things, reduced motivation, and poor memory can all be the result of sleep deprivation.

On top of this, existing health issues can be exacerbated due to poor sleep. Migraines, anxiety and depression can all worsen when you do not sleep well. Irritability and anger are yet another outcome of poor quality sleep.

Long-term outcomes of sleep deprivation include major health issues like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and even early death.

You cannot be healthy without proper sleep, nor can you be productive.

How To Know You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep Or Getting Poor Quality Sleep?

You can know this by noticing how you feel. The immediate side effects of lack of sleep can be subtle, like the inability to focus. You may feel restless and may not even realise that your lack of focus is not because there is something wrong with you (as I thought for the longest time), but because you are not sleeping well.

For those who say I can drink caffeine and still go to bed, here is how to tell if the late-night coffee is affecting your sleep or not:

1. You wake up feeling tired.
2. You wake up in the middle of the night, maybe even multiple times,
3. You feel sleepy immediately after or a few hours after waking up.
4. You need coffee to go through your day (and this leads to a vicious cycle).
5. All the signs mentioned in the above section — the short-term effects.
6. You suffer from morning headaches quite frequently.

These are some of the most common ways sleep deprivation manifests itself.

So, how many points did you check?

So, What Should You Remember?

You don’t have to quit drinking your favourite coffee or tea. You only need to modify your timings of when you consume caffeinated drinks.

The best way to figure out how your body responds to caffeine intake is by noticing how you feel throughout the day after consuming coffee or tea. Do a little experiment with your coffee intake. Notice how you feel in the morning with and without coffee intake late in the evening. Only then you will notice the difference.

Restrict caffeine intake at least 8 to 10 hours before bedtime, and prioritise sleep. A good quality of sleep at night will reduce the need for caffeine the next day.

Coffee can never enhance your daytime functioning as much as a good night’s sleep can.

— Featured Image by Milo Miloezger via Unsplash.com