Getting to bed at night can sometimes feel like a battle. And if you made the wrong choices earlier in the day, you might be paying for it when your head hits the pillow.
One of the most impactful choices you can make during the day comes down to how much caffeine you consume, including how much you have and when you cut yourself off.
Because caffeine can affect some people for up to 12 hours after consuming it, one sleep expert starts avoiding this ingredient earlier in the day than you might expect.
Expert Tip of the Day: Avoid Caffeine After This Time to Get Better Sleep
For many of us, a morning cup of coffee or a caffeinated tea is an essential ritual that sets the tone for the whole day.
But when that first-thing-in-the-morning habit becomes more of an all-day affair, you might notice it's harder to get to sleep or stay asleep.
That’s why Dr. Craig Canapari, a pulmonologist and director of the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center, told TODAY.com previously that he stops drinking caffeine after 12 p.m. each day. And, he said, “for most people, that’s a pretty safe bet.”
Why It Matters
Everyone needs good quality, consistent sleep for their overall health and well being. So you want to set yourself up for success at night by making choices that will support your body's ability to drift off easily — and stay asleep.
Caffeine can affect us all differently, Canapari said, and some people may have a hard time getting to sleep if they have caffeine too late in the day.
For some folks, the energizing effects of caffeine wear off just a few hours after their cup of coffee. But others might still be feeling them up to 10 or 12 hours later.
So, avoiding caffeine later in the day will help ensure that your body isn't too amped up at night. And the practice will help you establish a daily routine to get better sleep.
How to Get Started
Adults should aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, experts told TODAY.com previously. So, first, choose a bedtime that allows you to get that much sleep and fits in with the rest of your lifestyle and obligations.
Then, to be on the safe side, stop drinking caffeine 10 to 12 hours before you need to go to bed. For most people, avoiding caffeine after noon is going to give them plenty of buffer time, Canapri said.
It may help to think of your caffeine intake as part of your daily sleep routine, along with things like avoiding screens before bedtime and going to sleep at the same time every night. Canapari also tries to finish eating about three hours before going to bed, and only drinks alcohol once or twice a week to support sleep.
These kinds of habits help establish a “clear demarcation or a transitional period into sleep,” Canapari said, which benefits people of all ages.
If you're getting enough good quality sleep and still feel like you regularly need an afternoon cup of coffee to stay alert, that might actually signal another issue, Canapari said.
In particular, that can be a sign that you have an undiagnosed condition, such as sleep apnea, that’s preventing you from getting genuinely restful sleep during the night.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
