The caffeine cutoff that protects your sleep

☕ Caffeine is a powerful tool, but timing matters more than most people realize. Even if you fall asleep easily, caffeine too late in the day can quietly reduce deep sleep and REM sleep, which are critical for recovery, hormone balance, and brain health.

🧪 Caffeine has a long half-life, meaning it can stay in your system for 6–8 hours (sometimes longer). That means a mid-afternoon coffee may still be active at bedtime, keeping your nervous system slightly “on” even if you’re tired.
Over time, this can show up as waking up feeling unrefreshed, relying more on caffeine the next day, and getting stuck in a sleep–stimulation loop.

🔧 Tip: Set a caffeine cutoff around 8 hours before bedtime. For many people, that’s somewhere between 12–2pm. If quitting feels hard, try tapering with half-caf or switching to tea earlier in the day.