Scientist Recommends Best Times for Drinking Coffee

If you're drinking coffee to stay awake and motivated throughout the day, scientists say there's a way to get maximum returns on your efforts.

If you're drinking coffee to stay awake and motivated throughout the day, scientists say there's a way to get maximum returns on your efforts.

Steve Miller, a neuroscience doctoral student, suggests that overall, you begin by treating caffeine like a painkiller.

Just like with the medication, how effective caffeine will be both at the moment of consumption and over time depends upon quantity and timing.

The first thing is not to overdo it, as eventually a tolerance will build up.

Next is to balance caffeine consumption with your body's natural circadian rhythms.

Natural alertness is cyclical, and drinking coffee when the body is at one of its natural high points won't produce much of an effect.

Instead, wait until the alertness curve dips a bit. That's when a person gets the greatest desired effect.

The body experiences natural peaks around 9 in the morning, 1pm, and again between 5:30 and 6:30 in the evening. Waiting for half an hour to a couple hours after those happen is considered ideal.

Proceed with caution in the afternoon and evening. Ending up awake all night and being extra tired all day kind of defeats the purpose.