Many coffee lovers enjoy their favorite beverage throughout the day, but a doctor has discovered exactly when we should stop consuming caffeine to ensure quality sleep.
The recommendation is based on a study that tracked the habits of nearly 2,000 participants and found that there is an ideal timeframe for your last cup of coffee. That magic number is seven hours before bedtime.
Why exactly seven hours?
Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Dr. Nighat Arif explained the scientific basis behind this recommendation. The problem is that caffeine has a molecule that is similar in shape to adenosine, a hormone that builds up in the body during the day and makes us sleepy.
"As adenosine builds up, caffeine, which is very clever, mimics the same molecule. It fits into the receptors like a puzzle piece, and that's why your brain doesn't feel sleepy anymore," she explained. That's why, she adds, it's smarter to stop drinking coffee around 2 p.m.
Be careful with alcohol too.
Dr. Arif stressed that the rules don't just apply to coffee. Alcohol also has its price when it comes to sleep - which is why she recommends cutting back on alcohol at least three to four hours before bed. The goal, she says, is to give your body time to "calm down and relax" and get into a rhythm: silence the stimuli, step away from the screen, and slow down slowly.
Sleep, he adds, shouldn't come as a button you simply press, but as a calming preparation—a kind of calming routine before you lie down.
