Afternoon caffeine cutoff
A cutoff in early afternoon; caffeine's half-life runs longer than most expect
Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours and a quarter-life that reaches into the night, so the cutoff is a hard one, commonly somewhere between noon and 2pm. The point is that you can fall asleep fine and still lose deep sleep to a 4pm coffee. It costs nothing, and it is among the more widely shared sleep changes here.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Bryan JohnsonDoes it
Founder · Blueprint longevity protocol
Caffeine and other stimulants stay at least eight to ten hours clear of sleep, and his coffee is decaffeinated.
Source: Blueprint protocol site: sleep - Andrew HubermanRecommends
Neuroscientist · Huberman Lab
Puts the caffeine cutoff at roughly eight to ten hours before bed, pointing out that people fall asleep fine and still lose deep sleep to a late coffee.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for Sleep - Matthew WalkerRecommends
Sleep scientist · author of Why We Sleep
Caffeine's quarter-life reaches into the night, he points out, so an afternoon coffee can strip deep sleep even when you fall asleep easily.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #650 transcript - Steven BartlettDiscusses
Entrepreneur · The Diary of a CEO
Has covered caffeine timing and its effect on deep sleep with sleep researchers on the show.
Source: The Diary of a CEO: official episode feed
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep or energy.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Cutting out alcohol
Drinking nothing, or close to it: the most common upgrade in these stacks
On record from 13 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it, 6 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Hot water with lemon
A mug of hot water with a slice of lemon, to start the day or wind it down
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Nasal breathing
Breathe through the nose by default, including during easy exercise
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
No alarm clock
Waking without an alarm, kept only for early flights
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Consistent sleep and wake times
Same bedtime and wake time every day, weekends included
On record from 20 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 6 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Eight hours of sleep
Protecting a full night in bed as a training input, not a leftover
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.