On average, most people should stop drinking caffeine four to six hours before bed.
Figuring out how long before bedyoushould stop drinking caffeine may take some trial and error.
This article discusses when to stop drinking caffeine before bed.
Aleksandr Sumarokov / EyeEm / Getty Images
It also explains how caffeine works to promote wakefulness and how caffeine can hinder your ability to sleep.
Sleep drive, in particular, may be affected by caffeine use.
The sleep drive is understood as the desire for sleep.
It builds gradually with wakefulness due to the accumulation of a chemical calledadenosinein the brain.
Adenosine is a byproduct of metabolism.
The longer you stay awake, the more it accumulates and the sleepier you gradually become.
Caffeine directly blocks adenosine.
This is how long it takes the body to metabolize half of its (caffeine) consumption.
Remember that caffeine can be found in coffee, soda, tea,energy drinks, and even chocolate.
There are even some medications and over-the-counter supplements that may contain caffeine, so read ingredient labels carefully.
Lazarus M, Chen JF, Huang ZL, Urade Y, Fredholm BB.Adenosine and sleep.Handb Exp Pharmacol.
2019;253:359381. doi:10.1007/164_2017_36
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?
