Is it okay to drink coffee at night? As you may know, coffee contains caffeine which makes it difficult to sleep. In the human body, there is a compound called adenosine that makes you sleepy. This is where caffeine’s function allows it to block adenosine.
This is what causes a person not to feel sleepy after drinking coffee. That’s why questions like whether or not to drink coffee at night arise.
When people have trouble sleeping at night, it can be detrimental to their health. This is because humans have a need to sleep. Therefore, it is advisable not to drink coffee close to bedtime.
Avoid consuming caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This will help one to get the benefits of caffeine without having to disrupt their sleep cycle.
So, is drinking coffee at night really prohibited? Before concluding, you need to know about the positive and negative effects of drinking coffee at night.
Positive and Negative Effects of Drinking Coffee at Night
According to Sleep Education, caffeine has a positive impact on making humans more alert. This means that one can become more refreshed and alert to do things. In addition, the feeling also has a positive effect on mood and mentality. This of course can help someone focus more on work or doing something.
It’s not uncommon for many people to still be working when night falls. Therefore, as a refresher at work, coffee can be an option to drink in the evening.
As for the negative effects of drinking coffee at night, caffeine consumed in high doses can cause palpitations due to increased heart rate.
Then, high doses are also dangerous for a pregnant woman as it can increase complications.
Another negative impact besides making it difficult for someone to sleep is making the body feel bad. This is because high caffeine can cause diarrhea, nausea, faster breathing, and muscle tremors. Therefore, it is advisable to consume caffeine in normal doses.
Regardless of the positive and negative impacts, anything consumed in excess is certainly not good for health. The normal dose of caffeine is about 50 mg to 200 mg. However, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the normal limit for adults drinking coffee in a day can still reach 400 mg.
When is the Best Time to Drink Coffee?
So, when exactly is the best time to drink coffee? Reporting from healthline, it is explained that the morning time after waking up is also not the best time to drink coffee. The reason is because at that time a person’s cortisol hormone is at its highest.
Cortisol functions to provide energy in the body. As explained earlier, coffee can make someone who drinks it more alert. That’s why coffee is not the best choice to drink after waking up because it can increase cortisol levels. High cortisol can cause health problems due to damage to the immune system.
Therefore, the best time to drink coffee is recommended to be mid-morning. This means around 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Because, at that time a person’s cortisol levels have begun to decline.
However, it was explained that there is no research on this. In other words, there is no evidence that drinking coffee after waking up or mid-morning affects one’s energy. The advice is based solely on looking at one’s cortisol hormone in the morning.
In terms of how long caffeine takes to affect the body, it is recommended that people drink coffee 30 minutes or an hour before productive activities.
For example, when you want to exercise. Caffeine can increase muscle strength while making one less prone to fatigue. In general, the effects of caffeine from coffee will last about 3-5 hours.
Conclusion
Drinking coffee at night has both positive and negative effects. You have to be wise in determining the time to drink coffee because it can have an impact on your health. If you want to drink coffee at night, make sure you drink it within 6 hours before bedtime.
Also, pay attention to the dosage taken. Drink within the normal adult limit of 400 mg per day. Understand your need for caffeine. You can drink coffee when you need energy to be more enthusiastic at work or doing something.
Although there is no research that reveals the best time to drink coffee, mid-morning to mid-afternoon can be an option to enjoy a cup of coffee. Because, at that time a person’s cortisol is decreasing. So, caffeine is needed to boost your energy to stay fresh for your daily activities.
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