Caffeine Delay: Should You Wait 90 Minutes Before Your First Cup of Coffee?

Have you heard this term yet?  “The New York Times” did a big write-up on something called “caffeine delay” . . . or the idea that it’s better to wait an hour or two before your first cup of coffee.

A ton of influencers claim you’ll get a bigger energy boost if you wait, and it might be true.  But is it worth it?  According to experts, only if you want to limit yourself to ONE cup of coffee a day.

Caffeine works by binding to receptors in your brain and blocking a chemical that makes you drowsy called adenosine.  (uh-DEN-uh-seen)

Your adenosine levels are at their lowest right after you wake up, so there’s less of it to block.  That’s why an immediate cup of coffee might not do as much as it would when you’re dragging later in the day.

But for most people, there’s no harm in having a second cup of coffee later.  You’ll still get that bigger boost.  Plus, just the THOUGHT of coffee helps some people wake up.  So if that first sip is what gets you out of bed in the morning, go for it.

Delaying could also be dangerous for some people, since a lot of us don’t get enough sleep and rely on caffeine.  If you wait, you might not be as alert on your drive to work.

(NY Times)