Dr Deborah Lee has warned that the popular morning habit of having coffee immediately upon waking could be doing your body more harm than good
If you’re someone who automatically reaches for a coffee the moment your eyelids open, know that you’re far from alone in this daily habit. With today being National Espresso Day (November 23), it’s even more tempting to grab that coffee hit first thing in the morning, although experts are cautioning that this might not be the wisest move for firing up our energy levels.
Though a dose of morning caffeine seems crucial for many to start the day, a sleep expert has flagged that it may not actually provide the energetic jolt we crave. Speaking with The Mirror previously, sleep expert Dr. Deborah Lee had this to say: “When you wake up, your stress hormone cortisol level is at its peak, which is a hormone that enhances alertness and focus, as well as regulating your metabolism and immune system response.
“Elevated levels or cortisol may impact your immune system, and if they’re already at its peak when waking up, drinking coffee as soon as your eyes open may do more harm than good, and may even make you immune to caffeine over a long period of time.”
And it’s not just Dr. Lee raising the alarm. Fitness coach Dan Go also tweeted: “An underrated cheat code for better health is drinking water before drinking coffee first thing in the morning. Your body doesn’t need caffeine upon waking. It needs hydration.”
Fitness coach Ashley Richmond has taken to X/Twitter with some energising advice, saying: “90% of improving your energy levels is really just: hydrating with remineralised water, avoiding coffee first thing in the morning, getting at least 2 hours of daylight exposure. The little stuff that makes all the difference.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Lee, teaming up with Get Laid Beds, suggests holding off on that first cup of joe for a more invigorating start to the day. According to her, we should wait at least 45 minutes after waking before indulging in coffee to maximise our energy boost.
She clarifies: “The cortisol hormone follows a rhythm specific to your own sleeping cycle. They peak within half an hour to forty-five minutes of waking up, and then slowly will decline throughout the day, explaining why you may peak in the morning, and get more tired at night.”
Dr Lee’s guidance for those who love their caffeine hit is precise: “Taking into account your own rhythm, the best time to have your caffeine fix would be, at the earliest, 45-minutes after waking up, when your cortisol rhythm starts to dip.”
She also points out that the ideal time for your first caffeinated beverage is “mid-to-late morning,” coinciding with the natural dip in energy many of us feel. “The best time to drink coffee would typically be to drink mid-to-late morning when your cortisol is a lot lower and you can start to feel that energy slump, but of course not too late in the afternoon as it could affect your sleep.”
For early risers who get up at around 7am, Dr Lee advises delaying that first caffeine hit until between 10am and 12pm to reap the most benefits. She cautions against drinking caffeine too close to bedtime, suggesting a cutoff of “at least six hours” before hitting the hay.
“However, this is different for different people, and only you know your own caffeine tolerance.”
To guarantee a restful night’s sleep, Dr Lee recommends steering clear of all caffeine after 3pm, which includes coffee, fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and even non-caffeinated tea. For those in search of a warm drink later in the day, she proposes herbal teas or decaf options as cosy alternatives that won’t interfere with your slumber.
