Expert warns you should never drink coffee one hour after waking up

Once the alarm goes off, it’s a sign for your body to engage the autopilot and get ready for the day ahead.

Whether you kickstart your morning with a hot drink or a quick toothbrushing session, you probably have some sort of a routine.

One staple of this getting ready ritual is usually a cup of coffee.

Many people even claim they can’t face the day until they’ve had a kick of caffeine.

However, a sleep expert has warned you should never drink coffee within the first hour of waking up.

The practice which you probably do to feel more awake could in fact have the opposite effect.

Rex Isap, sleep expert and CEO at Happy Beds, explained you need to wait at least an hour after waking up before getting your dose of caffeine.

Isap told Mirror.co.uk: “When it comes to the ideal time to have your first coffee, we might tend to reach for the kettle as soon as we wake up.

“Ideally, however, you want to wait an hour before waking to truly reap the benefits.

“When we wake, our cortisol levels are at their peak. Cortisol, often associated with stress, enhances your alertness levels.

“So, drinking caffeine while your cortisol levels are already high can work against this or even help with gaining a tolerance for caffeine.”

While the timing of your first coffee is important, you should also think about the time when you have your last.

Otherwise, you could risk having poor sleep the following night.

The expert explained that your brain starts producing a chemical called adenosine during the day which essentially “promotes sleep”.

The longer you are awake, the more this chemical builds up and helps you feel sleepy.

However, caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors, which keep you alert and promote wakefulness.

“If you have ever struggled with sleeping after a coffee, this could be why,” Isap said.

Fortunately, Dr Lindsay Browning, a psychologist and neuroscientist from Trouble Sleeping, shared the ideal time for your last cup if you struggle with sleepless nights.

She recommended having the last coffee of the day at 2pm.

Dr Browning said: “Five to seven hours after your cup of coffee, half the caffeine is still in your system.

“So, if you have trouble sleeping, have your last cup of caffeine of the day at around 2pm.”

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