How Late Is Too Late for Your Last Cup? – ryan

If you love your daily cup of coffee, enjoy it—but timing matters. Drinking coffee earlier in the day not only helps protect your sleep but may also offer long-term health benefits. So, if you’re looking to get the most out of your caffeine habit, consider making your last cup a morning one.

According to Statista, the majority of American consumers drink coffee daily. As of 2023, nearly one percent of Americans consume more than eight cups per day. However, most people drink significantly less—60 percent of consumers limit their intake to just one or two cups per day.

While most people enjoy it as a morning “pick-me-up” and sometimes as an afternoon boost. Research from the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, found consuming four cups of brewed coffee (400mg of caffeine) at different times can affect your sleep quality.

Newsweek spoke with David Benavides, a board-certified sleep medicine physician, about the findings, which showed that consuming caffeine even six hours before bedtime can significantly disrupt sleep, reduce total sleep time and impact overall restfulness.

The Science Behind Caffeine and Sleep

Benavides, an educator and researcher at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, explained why caffeine can interfere with sleep.

He said: “Caffeine blocks adenosine, which is essentially the brain’s sleep-promoting chemical. As we go about our day, we naturally accumulate more and more of this in our bodies, which helps us feel sleepy. Blocking it, in turn, can promote energy at the cost of disrupting sleep if caffeine is still present at bedtime, even if individuals do not feel its stimulating effects.

“Studies have suggested that, in addition to cutting down on sleep, caffeine may inadvertently disrupt the quality of the sleep you do get. This includes affecting deep sleep, which is essential for multiple functions, including muscle recovery.”

Morning Coffee May Offer Health Benefits

Drinking coffee in the morning isn’t just good for your sleep—it may also benefit your overall health. A study conducted by researchers from multiple U.S. universities examined how coffee-drinking habits impact heart health and longevity.

They analyzed data from over 40,000 adults who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018.

The study identified two common coffee-drinking patterns:

• 36 percent of participants drank coffee primarily in the morning.
• 14 percent sipped coffee throughout the day.

After nearly a decade of follow-up, researchers tracked deaths from all causes, including heart disease and cancer.

The key findings include those who drank coffee mainly in the morning had a lower risk of death from any cause and from heart disease compared to non-coffee drinkers.

However, drinking coffee throughout the day did not provide the same protective effects. Interestingly, higher coffee intake was linked to a lower risk of death—but only for morning coffee drinkers.

Caffeine’s Half-Life and Individual Differences

Benavides emphasized the importance of understanding caffeine metabolism and the concept of half-life—the time it takes for the body to eliminate half of a substance.

He told Newsweek: “For caffeine’s half-life of 5–6 hours, if you have a cup at 3 PM, half of it may still be in your system by 8–9 PM. This process can be further complicated by genetics, as some people are naturally faster or slower metabolizers of caffeine, meaning it affects everyone a bit differently.”

Caffeine in Moderation: A Balanced Approach

While caffeine can disrupt sleep, it doesn’t deserve a bad reputation. When consumed in moderation, it can enhance daily life and provide benefits without significantly compromising sleep quality.

Benavides emphasized the importance of strategic caffeine use, saying: “Caffeine consumption needs to be done strategically, and understanding its half-life can be an effective tool in doing so.”

But if you are feeling tired despite getting adequate sleep, then Benavides recommends seeing a doctor to rule out any health problems.

Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

References

Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (n.d.). Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 09(11), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170

Wang, X., Ma, H., Sun, Q., Li, J., Heianza, Y., Van Dam, R. M., Hu, F. B., Rimm, E., Manson, J. E., & Qi, L. (2025). Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults. European Heart Journal, 46(8), 749–759.