RECOMMENDATION:
No caffeine after 2pm.
WHAT:
This habit is about limiting caffeine, especially later in the day, in order to get better sleep at night.
WHY:
Most people understand that too much caffeine, the stimulant that is found in things like coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soft drinks, can be bad for your sleep.
But what many people don’t know is that the “half-life” of caffeine is about 5-6 hours.
This means that if you consume 160mg of caffeine from a strong cup of coffee at 4pm, you will still have about 80mg of caffeine in your system 6 hours later at 10pm.
That’s only half the caffeine gone from your system! The rest will still take a few more hours.
While you may feel that the most obvious effects of caffeine have worn off shortly after you downed your cup of coffee, it actually hangs around for quite a long time in your system.
This is a problem because caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and ALSO reduces the quality of the sleep that you do get.
We’re not trying to demonise caffeine (because it does have its benefits).
Rather, we’d like to help you get the best use out of your caffeine consumption without it negatively affecting your sleep – such as consuming it much earlier in the day.
HOW:
For most people, cutting out caffeine from 2pm onwards is the sweet spot between allowing themselves to have a caffeine boost to finish the work day off strong while also giving their system enough time to process most of the caffeine bed time.
Feel free to experiment with earlier or later cutoffs to see what works well for you.
TIPS:
✅ Environment Design: Stock up on caffeine-free alternatives. Herbal teas or decaf coffee can be a satisfying afternoon switch.
✅ Make It Obvious: Set a reminder on your phone for 1:45 pm as a last call for caffeine. This prepares you to wrap up your caffeine consumption for the day.
✅ Habit Stacking: Pair your last caffeinated drink with another routine, like a short walk or completing a specific work task. This can create a dual cue: finish task, finish caffeine.
✅ Make It Social: Share the habit with friends or colleagues. A shared challenge, like a week of ‘No Caffeine After 2’, can make it fun and reinforce commitment.
✅ Reflect: After a week, note any changes in your sleep quality or energy levels. Positive changes can be powerful motivators to stick with the habit.
