Post by @doctorhoeflinger

I’m a retired neurosurgeon and wanna explain the problem with early morning coffee. It will take just a minute. You see, when you wake up, your brain naturally triggers a rapid spike in cortisol known as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). This morning surge of cortisol helps mobilize energy for your day, increases blood sugar for energy and naturally helps you start to feel awake. It helps transition your body from a sleeping state to an active state. The Problem The problem with early morning coffee between 6-8 am is two fold. Firstly, forcing a caffeine spike first thing in the morning on top of an already spiking cortisol can overstimulate your nervous system causing jitters, anxiety, an elevated blood sugar and a rapid heartbeat. Secondly, over time your body can build a tolerance and produce less natural morning cortisol resulting in morning exhaustion and mid-afternoon energy crashes. The Solution The best time to drink coffee is between 9:30-11:30 am or about one to two hours after waking up. This is because your body’s natural cortisol level is starting to drop this point giving you the strongest boost from caffeine. Additionally, you could try a second small cup between 1-3 pm to help you stay awake after lunch. And lastly, ideally stop drinking coffee around 8 hours before you go to bed because it can ruin your sleep and disrupt your body’s natural clock.