How to prevent the afternoon crash (Delaying Caffeine by 90 Minutes)
Many people set themselves up for a deep trough in mental energy in the afternoon. It's also known as the caffeine crash. Yet, there is a simple habit to avoid feeling tired and groggy during that time of day.
What to do
Delay your first caffeine intake until 90 minutes after waking up.
Why it works
From the moment you wake up and throughout the day, a chemical called adenosine builds up in your brain. This chemical drives your so-called sleep pressure. Caffeine, in turn, works by occupying the adenosine receptors in your brain. It thus tricks you into feeling alert despite high sleep pressure.
While caffeine blocks its receptors, adenosine continues to build up regardless. Once your body has metabolized the caffeine, you'll get a massive surge in sleep pressure. The reason: Your system then releases all that adenosine at once. This usually happens in the afternoon. Enter the caffeine crash.
By avoiding caffeine in the first 90 minutes, you'll get sleepy in the evening, not in the afternoon. So, resort to means other than caffeine to get going early in the morning.
How to do it
1) Sleep in multiples of 90 minutes. Instead of 7 or 8 hours, go for 7.5 (or 6 or 9) hours of shut-eye per night (here is how). Why? You'll avoid "sleep inertia" and feel less in need of a coffee after waking up.
2) Drink plenty of water instead of coffee early in the morning. Even mild dehydration causes fatigue and anxiety, so giving your body a lot of water is key. Women should go for 2 liters a day, men for 3 liters. Have most of it in the first 10 hours after waking up.
3) If you can't go without caffeine early in the morning, decaf coffee is an excellent alternative. Do a quick Google search and pick a variety that's truly decaf.
Although it might sound difficult at first, give it a try. Delaying your first caffeine intake until 90 minutes after waking up is key to avoiding the caffeine crash. Let me know how it goes.
And please share this post with one person that could also benefit from preventing the afternoon crash:
Until next week,
Christian
I’m a definite advocate of this.
First thing I do in the morning is get 5 mins of daylight on my eyeballs. Then, drink a pint of water.
Next, some exercise. I alternate between a walk or run. Or a light jog.
Then, about 9 am I’ll have breakfast and a coffee. This delays breakfast and the caffeine.