Africa-Press – Ethiopia. For many people, gulping down a cup of coffee first thing in the morning has become somewhat of a ritual. The belief is that caffeine gives you that boost you need to get things going. And while coffee can indeed put an extra kick in your step, Dr Deborah Lee, sleep expert at Get Laid Beds, says drinking a cup of joe as soon as you wake up may not be the best idea.
Why does coffee not work when you drink it as soon as you wake? “When you wake up, your stress hormone cortisol level is at its peak, which is a hormone that enhances alertness and focus, as well as regulating your metabolism and immune system response,” Dr Lee explained in a press statement.
“Elevated levels of cortisol may impact your immune system, and if they’re already at its peak when waking up, drinking coffee as soon as your eyes open may do more harm than good and may even make you immune to caffeine over a long period of time.”
So does that mean no more coffee in the morning? Of course not. You just need to practice a little bit of patience and get to know how your body works.
“The cortisol hormone follows a rhythm specific to your own sleeping cycle. They peak within half an hour to forty-five minutes of waking up and then slowly will decline throughout the day, explaining why you may peak in the morning and get more tired at night. Taking into account your own rhythm, the best time to have your caffeine fix would be, at the earliest, 45 minutes after waking up, when your cortisol rhythm starts to dip.”
According to Dr Lee, the best time to have your coffee would be “mid-to-late morning when your cortisol is a lot lower, and you can start to feel that energy slump.”
She added:
But make sure you’re not drinking coffee too late in the afternoon, as it might disrupt your sleep.
“Typically, you should stop drinking coffee at least six hours before you sleep,” said Dr Lee.
“However, this is different for different people, and only you know your own caffeine tolerance. To avoid messing up your sleeping pattern, avoid any caffeine after 15:00, including coffee, fizzy drinks, energy drinks and even non-caffeinated tea. Try switching to herbal teas if you need a hot drink to stay warm or decaf to trick yourself into thinking you’re getting your caffeine fix. Your sleep schedule will thank you!”
Source: Issued by Liberty Marketing Group
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