When Should You Stop Drinking Caffeine?
How Can You Make Sure Caffeine Does Not Affect Your Sleep
Caffeine blocks Sleep. The majority of us use it in the morning as a wake-up helper, and it truly works. For those of us who choose to drink it throughout the day, some issues can occur with your sleep.
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffees, teas, most soda products, and nowadays energy drinks. Most people use it as a way to find that extra push of energy to get them through the day alert and peppy. While there aren’t many long term effects from ingesting caffeine, there is one glaring issue with taking caffeine too late in the waking day.
When Should You Stop Drinking Caffeinated Products?
Many people are not aware of the length of time it takes to eliminate from your body. The answer, unfortunately, is not clear either, so we’ll work with averages. On average caffeine has a half-life, the time it takes your body to eliminate half of the dosage, of 3 to 5 hours. That’s a LONG time when you consider some people are drinking coffee and tea the entire morning and late into the afternoon.
To eliminate the entire dosage of caffeine takes a bit longer, and this is where the science gets nonspecific. Your body weight, your body make up (fat tissue, musculature, and other factors), and your built up tolerance to caffeine come into play. Science points out that the effects of caffeine in “most” people can be felt 6 hours after consumption. One study showing that sleep was affected by an entire hour after caffeine was taken 6 hours before. Studies also show effects are felt even longer the older you get.
Why Doesn’t It Affect Me?
Many people feel like caffeine does not affect them in negative ways and state that falling asleep is never an issue for them. While building a tolerance 
to caffeine is possible, due to the long term over-consumption, caffeine is NOT wholly out of their system. The ability to fall asleep fast regardless of caffeine consumption, in reality, shows two concerns:
- Sleep Deprivation has caused the immediacy of mental shut down into a sleep state
- Caffeine blocks the body’s ability to hit deep sleep for much longer, therefore not allowing you to fully recover and rest completely
Final Word on Caffeine
Knowing the effects of caffeine are felt as long as 6 hours after consumption, it is best to be very cautious in your afternoon caffeine consumption. Most experts relay the same message of concern for anyone drinking a caffeinated drink after 2 pm, boiling down to the words “Don’t do it.” Follow that message, and I believe you’ll be safe in your sleep without losing a wink!
We welcome your comments and ideas. Please leave a comment below. Share this with your friends and show them you care. Remember when you Sleep Well you Live Well.
References
What’s in That Drink? | Perspectives | Perspectives | KQED. https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201003150735/whats-in-that-drink
http://sleepeducation.org/news/2013/08/01/sleep-and-caffeine
http://jcsm.aasm.org/viewabstract.aspx?pid=29198
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/caffeine-and-sleep
About the author:
Javier is the owner of Sleep Well, professionally trained sleep stores, specializing in specific mattresses for specific needs. He lives to give. He is an active member of his community and church. His hard work and efforts pay off for him when he can help others, and give to efforts for the betterment of others.
His spare time is spent with his beautiful wife, Gretchen. They are craft beer hobbyists who enjoy making their own beers, visiting small breweries, and making new friends. Their lives revolve around church, family, exercising, four great dogs, and keeping up with their home in Alamogordo NM.
