Caffeine blocks a receptor in the brain. It takes up space where hormones that help us fall asleep need to be, a science lecturer explains. During the first 90 minutes after waking up, Pete Upton recommends avoiding caffeine. Water is a better option as your first drink in the morning, he says.
Drinking coffee immediately after waking can disrupt the natural cortisol rhythm, potentially leading to poor sleep quality and difficulty waking up in the morning. Waiting 90 minutes before consuming caffeine helps preserve your natural cortisol pattern, promoting better sleep and wakefulness.
Turns out the best time to drink coffee might not be first thing in the morning, but an hour after you wake up. This is because in the hour after you wake up, your body's production of cortisol is at one of its three daily peaks, according to researchers who published a small but intriguing clinical study.
Indeed, according to experts, drinking coffee on an empty stomach right after waking up can interfere with your cortisol levels and actually leave you feeling even more tired later on in the day.
Huberman recommends delaying coffee consumption for a minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours after waking in order to maximize energy, reset your Circadian Rhythms, and improve sleep.
“After brushing, it is safe to drink water and coffee immediately since the minerals in toothpaste have strengthened, remineralized, and rid the teeth surfaces of bacteria build up,” Dr. Huang shares. “However, for the best taste, you may want to wait 10 minutes to avoid toothpaste-flavored coffee or water.”
If falling asleep and staying asleep comes more easily to you, Clauss recommends capping off caffeine at least four hours to six hours before bedtime. So unless you're staying up late, that after-dinner espresso may not be ideal.
“Wait at least an hour [after you wake up] to get your cup of joe,” AsapScience advises, “and your body will be optimally ready to go.” That is, if you don't hit the snooze button and nod off in the meantime.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is unlikely to cause any damage to your stomach, but it could theoretically provoke heartburn, Dr. Barrett said.
Drinking water first thing in the morning immediately helps rehydrate the body. Your six to eight hours of sleep is a long period to go without any water consumption. Drinking two or three glasses of water right when you wake up is a good way to rehydrate your body quickly.
The short answer:
Mid-to-late morning is the best time for peak daytime performance. If you need an afternoon pickup, make sure you have 6 hours to burn off the caffeine before you try to sleep. For a better workout, have a cuppa' 30 to 60 minutes before your sweat sesh.
If a person drinks a lot of coffee or is under a lot of stress, then there is this constant level of cortisol floating around in the body. Cortisol causes weight gain, specifically in the belly area, for several reasons.
If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, your cortisol levels can increase and, depending on your individual hormone levels, it could cause unnecessary stress in your morning. However, generally, it shouldn't be anything to worry about.
When it comes to caffeine, temperature plays a big role. “Caffeine's solubility is primary driven by temperature, such that at higher temperatures, significantly more caffeine will dissolve in solution than at cooler temperatures,” says Joseph Rivera of Coffee Chemistry.
One study concluded that drinking 500 milliliters of water boosted metabolic rate by 30 percent in both women and men. Starting your day with a glass of water rather than a cup of coffee will give you the energy you need to start the day off right. Second, staying hydrated by drinking water prevents fatigue.
Grabbing a cup of coffee first thing in the morning may seem like the best move, but health experts say water is actually the correct choice. After going several hours without a sip, a serving of water first thing can hydrate the body while aiding digestion and metabolism.
The body releases cortisol first thing in the morning, which clashes with caffeine. Waiting until the stress hormone's effects decrease will help you benefit more from the caffeine. Research suggests the optimal time to wait would be between one and four hours.
Those positive effects you experience from coffee — the energy boost, fuel for your morning routine, even keeping yourself regular — can actually come with a side of bloat. How long does coffee bloat last? There's no exact figure, but coffee-related bloating most often lasts for a few hours.
The F.D.A. defines an empty stomach as “one hour before eating, or two hours after eating.” The F.D.A.'s two-hour rule is just a rule of thumb; the stomach will probably not be completely empty.
Acid will weaken your enamel, which can increase your chances of cavities or tooth decay, so you should wait 30-60 minutes before brushing your teeth after eating or drinking. If you don't brush your teeth before drinking coffee, the coffee can bind to the plaque that is on your teeth.
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that is quickly absorbed in the digestive system and distributed throughout the body. Caffeine affects the brain as well, where it elicits the classic effect of “waking you up”. So yes, coffee wakes up most people.
Caffeine elevates cortisol secretion, and caffeine is often consumed in conjunction with exercise or mental stress.
One way is to take a week off from coffee every month. That's what Ashley Richmond, the founder of Momentum Habits, does. She recommends taking the first week of the month off so it's easy to remember. If that sounds too harsh, try the slower approach.
Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m.
Caffeine can disrupt your sleep up to six hours after consuming it, leading to an hour or more lost in rest, one study found. So if you want to start winding down and going to bed at 9 p.m., drinking coffee after 3 p.m. is a bad idea.
Coffee is the second most widely consumed drink globally, only after water, and one of the main reasons for that is its high level of caffeine. But, depending on your caffeine tolerance, a cup of coffee can keep you awake anywhere from 4-5 to 12 hours.