It is 3 o’clock in the afternoon and most people are still at work and feeling sleepy. They cannot focus on the tasks properly so they usually drink a cup of afternoon coffee.
The coffee is known to be the perfect beverage for becoming more active and alert but it is not always effective especially if it is consumed at the wrong time of the day.
What Happens When You Drink Coffee After Three?
Are you one of those people who drink a cup of coffee during a boring afternoon to stay awake? But you should know that experts are against this habit and they advise people to stop drinking coffee especially after lunchtime. The reason is that if you drink coffee after 3 PM you will have problems with sleeping at night.
You can still drink coffee to stay alert but experts claim that you should drink a cup of coffee in the morning not later in the day. You will boost your energy by drinking coffee in the morning. But if you drink it in the afternoon, the effect won’t be the same as it will cause wreak havoc with your sleep schedule.
Effects of Drinking Coffee After 3PM
Although caffeine is many people’s stimulant, experts have proven that it can have the following side-effects:
- Melatonin Interruption: Drinking coffee after 3 Pm can disturb the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone which is responsible for good night sleep by controlling our sleep schedule. It actually tells us whether it is time to sleep or not.
- Less Sleep: Tel Aviv University conveyed a research in which half of the participants consumed coffee after 3 PM and half of them didn’t. Those who had a cup of coffee in late afternoon, slept five and a half hours and those who didn’t, slept extra two hours.
- Poor Quality of Sleep: Although the participants slept for almost six hours, they had problems with falling asleep.
The production of melatonin is triggered two hours before going to bed. After that the hormone production is at its highest level around two or four in the morning and then it decreases. According to the experts, melatonin level is reduced when you drink coffee at three or after three. So drink a cup of coffee in the morning or before 3 PM, if you want to avoid sleep problems.
Source: http://www.stethnews.com