When you choose to drink your first cup of coffee in the morning is a uniquely personal one. Some like to enjoy a cup soon after waking up, while others hang out until mid-morning to enjoy their coffee.
According to Healthline, consuming coffee soon after rising can impact its energising effects because your levels of cortisol — the stress hormone — are peaking.
“The hormone follows a rhythm specific to your sleep-wake cycle, with high levels that peak 30–45 minutes after rising and slowly decline throughout the rest of the day,” said Healthline.
So, to reap the rewards of caffeine on your concentration and alertness, try to delay your coffee to mid to late morning — this is when your cortisol levels are much lower. If you get up around 6:30am, aim to drink your first coffee between 9:30 and 11:30am, if you can.
Caffeine can actually cause your cortisol levels to rise further, which is another reason to avoid drinking it during this peak time, according to Healthline.
If you have a tendency to feel jittery rather than energised after your morning brew, it might be time to switch up how you consume your coffee. For some people, caffeine can be overwhelming and result in feelings of nervousness — if this is the case for you try giving decaf coffee a go.
If you can’t function without the caffeine, try adding grass-fed butter and Brain Octane Oil to your black coffee to make a bulletproof coffee. The addition of natural fats will help balance blood sugar levels and prevent the post-coffee spike.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can also cause a wired feeling, so eating something as simple as a banana beforehand will help curb this. If you’re a black coffee drinker, adding a splash of milk will also help offset those jittery feelings.
If you care to experiment, try to delay your first coffee of the day by a few hours and see if it has a positive or negative effect on your energy levels.