What Time of Day Should You Not Drink Coffee?

Coffee is a popular beverage that is loved today. Not only is it delicious, but it also offers many health benefits such as boosting energy, maintaining alertness, aiding digestion, and fighting inflammation.

However, consuming a lot of these drinks at the wrong time will cause unwanted side effects. Here are some times when you shouldn’t drink coffee.

When you haven’t had breakfast

According to Prevention, drinking a cup of coffee at 6 a.m. on an empty stomach doesn’t increase your energy levels. That’s because in the first few hours after waking up, levels of the stress hormone cortisol are at their highest, which really gives you a natural energy boost.

So many experts agree that the best time to have your first cup is around 10-12 a.m. when cortisol levels start to drop. That way, you’ll take advantage of your body’s natural highs and save that caffeine when you really need it.

In addition, coffee is acidic, and drinking it on an empty stomach can cause discomfort. Acidity can be bad for people with heartburn, reflux, digestive problems, and even just an upset stomach.

When I’m Sick

Many people who are sick often want to drink a cup of coffee to stay awake and eliminate the feeling of sluggishness. However, coffee is not a good choice if you are sick because it will dehydrate you and can make it difficult to sleep at night. Also, coffee can upset your stomach, which makes nausea or vomiting you’re experiencing worse.

Water is the best drink when you are sick. If you want to drink something else, tea is a better choice than coffee. Tea contains antioxidants and is low in caffeine, so it will soothe a sore throat. You can return to coffee when you are well.

After getting drunk

Some people rely on coffee to cure a hangover, but there’s little scientific evidence that this is true. Although drinking coffee can help with withdrawal headaches, it can also make headaches worse by narrowing blood vessels and increasing blood pressure.

Most importantly, caffeine won’t sober you up. It may make you more alert, but you’ll still be intoxicated, with impaired judgment.

If you feel hungover after drinking alcohol, drink water instead of coffee. If you must drink coffee to stay awake, drink only a small amount and continue to mainly drink water.

Drink every day

For coffee aficionados, this drink can become such a powerful habit that it leads to addiction. Because coffee is a stimulant, drinking it daily can directly affect energy levels by increasing central nervous system activity. The problem is that our bodies adapt to their effects and require an increased dosage to get the same effect, eventually leading to exhaustion and fatigue.

So, you should only drink coffee 4-5 days a week and replace this beverage with matcha or green tea whenever possible.

When under stress

If you’re in a bad mood, a cup of coffee can make your day worse. Caffeine can negatively affect nerve cells, stimulating the production of cortisol. This is the hormone that causes feelings of fatigue, boredom, and lethargy throughout the day.

When lack sleep

Many people believe that coffee is a natural solution to help the body stay awake when sleepy. However, caffeine does not have the same effect if you sleep less than 5 hours a day for 3 consecutive nights.

Lack of sleep causes a significant decline in cognitive performance and caffeine does not improve this condition despite drinking a lot.

After exercise

You shouldn’t drink coffee right after a workout. It can suppress appetite and lead to fuel shortages. In some cases, coffee causes headaches due to available energy and dehydration.

Meanwhile, after exercise, what may be needed is fuel or hydration. Drinks that are high in caffeine are diuretics, which means they make you go to the bathroom more often. When you have just finished exercising, the body is in a state of dehydration so this is of course not good.

When pregnant

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two reasons to cut back on coffee when you’re pregnant. First, caffeine will increase the heart rate of the fetus. Second, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (USA), drinking too much coffee can increase the risk of miscarriage or low birth weight babies. Meanwhile, pregnant women who drink coffee are more prone to stress, insomnia, and heartburn.

Experts recommend limiting caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day during pregnancy. This is equivalent to 1-1.5 cups of coffee per day.

Before going to bed

Coffee will keep you awake by increasing adrenaline, blocking adenosine, and slowing dopamine reuptake. All of which increase alertness and reduce drowsiness. However, caffeine doesn’t just have short-term effects on sleep. Researchers have recently confirmed that it interferes with people’s circadian clocks when consumed shortly before bedtime.

So drinking coffee in the evening is not a good idea. In general, you should not consume this caffeinated beverage within about 6 hours of going to bed.