Sleep expert reveals the best time to have coffee
Your morning coffee can either set you up for steady energy or leave you chasing a second cup by 10 a.m., and the time you drink it usually determines which.
Your morning coffee routine might not be as harmless as it seems. Sleep experts say the exact time you reach for that first cup can affect your energy levels and how well the rest of your day goes. A small shift in timing could make a noticeable difference in how your day unfolds.
According to Drive Research, 73% of Americans drink coffee every single day, with 36% percent of people consuming 3+ cups daily. These statistics alone prove that understanding the best time to have coffee can help most people take a positive step in their day, rather than feeling sluggish.
Background
Michael Breus is a clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, worked as a sleep expert for WebMD, and authored several bestselling books, including Sleep Drink Breathe. He discusses the behind-the-scenes reasons people may have sleep issues and communicates those beliefs and findings in a down-to-earth, relatable manner.
During a recent appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he revealed the perfect time of day to have coffee. According to Breus, the answer depends in part on your chronotype, or your body’s natural sleep-wake pattern.
One of the first things that he asks his patients is, “Is the first liquid that crosses over your lips in the morning caffeinated?” When the podcast host admitted that it is for him, Breus explained why that may not be the best approach.
He says, “Most people don’t know that sleeping is a dehydrative event. You lost almost a full liter of water just from the humidity in your breath. Caffeine is a dieretic which means it makes you have to go pee. You’ve already lost a liter, and then you add a couple cups of caffeine, and you’re going to turn into a raisin.” He then reiterated that you need to increase your water intake, especially in the morning.
The best time to have a coffee
His recommendation? “Don’t have caffeine for the first 90 minutes that you’re awake.” When you wake up, your body naturally experiences a spike in cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that promote alertness. Drinking coffee right away adds caffeine on top of already elevated hormones. Waiting allows those levels to taper slightly, so caffeine works more efficiently when you do have it.
His rule of thumb is simple: “You hydrate before you caffeinate.” Drinking 15-20 ounces of water (about 3-4 cups) in the first hour or hour and a half after waking up is a great way to accomplish that.
Why this matters
For many people, coffee feels non-negotiable. It is the ritual that signals the start of the day, and everything that follows. Some like it black, some with milk; the variations are endless, and it’s part of the tradition in almost any country. When something is that embedded in daily habits, even small misconceptions about how to use it can quietly shape long-term habits.
This conversation is also about how we approach energy in general. Many people move through their days in a constant state of sleep debt and stimulation. Instead of working with their natural rhythms, they override them. Timing caffeine strategically forces a pause. It asks a bigger question: Are we supporting our biology, or constantly pushing against it?
It also highlights how little most of us think about sleep as an active biological process. We treat it as downtime, but in reality, it affects hydration and recovery. Understanding that your body is already doing complex work before you even reach for coffee shifts the narrative. Morning habits are not random. They are biological.
