When to drink coffee: discover the best moments for caffeine

The idea that coffee is a pick-me-up is fully integrated into Western food and drink culture. In many southern European countries, a cup of coffee is common at breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner. But what time do you drink coffee? Although many have a cup of coffee with breakfast, there are traditional fixed times for coffee: the so-called coffee time. These hours are in the morning between 09:00 and 10:00, in the afternoon between 15:00 and 16:00 and in the evening around 20:00.

At what time is it best not to drink coffee?

As you probably know, coffee contains caffeine. This substance can have a stimulating effect, but then you have to drink coffee at the right time. This has everything to do with the time when you do that. For example, an early morning cup of coffee is not such a good idea. This is because our body also produces the invigorating cortisol itself, which makes it easier to wake up. Do you have the habit of drinking coffee in the early morning? Then there is a chance that your body will produce less cortisol as a result and you will wait for the caffeine shot. So, are you someone who only wakes up after a cup of coffee? Then try taking tea or something else for a while, so that your body produces cortisol again. Late at night, it is also not a good idea to have another cup of coffee. At that time, your body prepares for sleep and the production of the stimulating cortisol therefore decreases. Caffeine actually wakes you up, making it harder for you to fall asleep. Should you just stay up overnight? Then coffee can actually help you.

When can you drink coffee?

The first cup of coffee has not only to do with the time of day but also with age. According to the Nutrition Center, children under 13 should avoid this drink. Teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 should stick to one cup. Healthy adults can drink about four cups a day. The times when drinking coffee is best are when your cortisol is decreasing and you need a pick-me-up. It turns out that Belgian coffee moments are geared to that. Because in the morning and in the afternoon are the times when most can use caffeine for better concentration. Only for the evening coffee, it might be better to take a decaffeinated variant, so that you can sleep peacefully.