Should you drink coffee before going to bed?

I occasionally do and I thought it didn’t affect me.

But I’m not sure after reading research that suggests that when consumed a few hours before bed, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world seems to disrupt the body’s internal clock which sets biological rhythms such as sleep/wake cycles.

It seems that scientists love researching coffee…

One study followed 12 participants and discovered that “caffeine consumed {0, 3, and 6 hours before bedtime} diminished sleep quality…sleep monitors measuring total sleep time, and sleep efficiency (time spent sleeping relative to the total time spent in bed) showed that caffeine consumed 6 hours before bedtime had significant detrimental effects…”

Another research study showed “A double espresso three hours before bedtime delayed the production of the sleep hormone melatonin by about 40 minutes, making it harder to nod off.”

The folks at I Love Coffee created this infographic that explains it well:

Here’s what happens when you drink coffee too late

As it turns out, ingesting caffeine during the day is actually pretty bad if you can’t sleep at night.

Your body is made up of cells, each with its own circadian rhythm.

The gears are humming along, and as the sun goes down they start to shift to prepare the body for rest.

Unbeknownst to your cells, you’re having dinner with friends and order a latte.

As the coffee now floods your body, it passes by each cell and wakes it back up.

So for the next few hours or so, your cells are back to work, keeping you awake and providing you with all the nutrients you need to stay awake.

But now it’s 11 pm and you’re back from your dinner and ready for sleep.

Yet your cells are wide awake, so once you get to sleep it will not be the deep, restorative kind that leaves you rested and prepared for the next day.

Thus begins the cycle of drinking caffeine all day to stay awake because you drank caffeine too late the day before.

And the cycle goes on.

About Michael Yardney
Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.