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Afternoon caffeine cutoff
caffeine cutoff
A listing is not a recommendation.
Origin: Contemporary sleep hygiene · Tradition: Behavioural sleep medicine · Daily habits & sleep
What it is
A method of holding back coffee, tea, and energy drinks from the afternoon onward (this varies between people), because the alerting action of caffeine remains for several hours.
A short introduction (not a treatment instruction)
- As a guide, set an experimental cut-off about 6 to 8 hours before you fall asleep.
- Green tea, black tea, and chocolate also contain caffeine.
- If you get a withdrawal headache, reduce gradually rather than going to zero at once.
Symptoms or aims often mentioned with this practice
- Sleeplessness
- Stress or unease
- Headache
Related symptom videos
Research notes (this is not a promise of effect)
B: Randomised trials or systematic reviews exist, but reports are modest, the group studied is limited, or study quality is limited
Among elements of sleep hygiene, this one has a particularly strong physiological rationale. Individual variation is large.
Sources
Safety notes
Headache from stopping suddenly. Caffeine sensitivity.
If you are unsure, or if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or take medicine, consult a qualified professional.
Situations in which this is better avoided
- If a physician has advised caffeine intake for a specific reason, that advice comes first