# How late is too late?



## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

Just a quick survey to see what time people cut off drinking coffee of an evening.

I usually down tools at 7pm although I've never really pushed the limits of just how late I could drink it without seriously affecting sleep. I get the impression from various posts on here that people are still drinking a fair amount in the evening.

I guess that the effects vary from person to person but when do you usually call it a day?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Anywhere up til 10

Usually last one at 9 though.....


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

I switch to tea at around 3pm.

Currently drinking liquorice and peppermint tea which I really enjoy


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I find brewed coffee worse for keeing me awake, so I tend to lay off that mid afternoon, happy though with an espresso, or moka pot in the evening.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

12pm for me, then its tea and water!


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## adam0bmx0 (Feb 20, 2014)

No coffee after 5pm-ish for me.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

3pm finish for brewed, 7pm cut off for espresso on a school night then time for the PG tips.

On the weekend I rebel so maybe later









Espresso doesn't have to much effect on me but to much brewed gives me the jitters.


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks for all of the answers so far guys, there is certainly a good range of answers. I usually have brewed in the office and then switch to espresso at home. Like others have said, espresso has much less of an effect on my which is presumably down to lower caffeine and other chemicals that are not extracted during the espresso process.

Might have to give it a try and see what happens. Are there any tips that can be used to lesson the effect of the caffeine at all? I'm guess not without switching to decafe.


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## Blackstone (Aug 5, 2012)

No limit. Happy to have espresso after food when dining out


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

On a normal evening my last one is around 7 or 8 pm.

If I have been enjoying a large meal with plenty of alcoholic drinks, I close with a coffee no matter the time (even 1am) and I sleep like an angel anyway.


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## EWCC (Mar 27, 2014)

I normally don't have any after dinner, unless I'm with friends and they want one then I'll join them. However, I am planning to buy some decaf beans, so I can practice my skills most evenings without worrying about sleep (the lack of it).


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## coffeechops (Dec 23, 2013)

I always find it really strange when people are affected so much. I'm not sure caffeine affects me at all. I can have a drink at 11pm and fall asleep immediately. I can go a week or two without and not notice any withdrawal at all. (This is good in that I can drink all I want, but bad in that I can't use it to keep alert.)

Is this weird? Is there some sort of caffeine susceptibility gene I'm missing? Or having drunk it since childhood am I just completely tolerant of it?

Sometimes wish it were the same with alcohol...

Colin


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

No brewed coffee after 5pm for me. Espresso based drinks are fine up to 6:30pm.

I'm also a person who has no caffeine dependency, I can easy go weeks without the stuff without any withdrawal symptoms


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## oracleoftruth (Jan 15, 2014)

I agree with you Colin. Regularly have Coffee late at night and it has an effect on me but not one that affects my sleep.

I would suspect expectation and degree of acceptance of the symptoms of caffeine.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

8pm absolute latest and a single espresso (usually in milk). Out like a light by 12.30


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## andyt23 (Nov 24, 2013)

a lightweight 6pm for me, so I stay well clear of any bother sleeping.

I will often have an espresso after a meal out though, those evenings that are less 'pipe and slippers' than the norm


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## innatelogic (Jan 26, 2014)

Xpenno said:


> Thanks for all of the answers so far guys, there is certainly a good range of answers. I usually have brewed in the office and then switch to espresso at home. Like others have said, espresso has much less of an effect on my which is presumably down to lower caffeine and other chemicals that are not extracted during the espresso process.
> 
> Might have to give it a try and see what happens. Are there any tips that can be used to lesson the effect of the caffeine at all? I'm guess not without switching to decafe.


Do you have a source for the caffeine content of various kinds of drink? I was under the impression (I forget the source of this 'knowledge') that since caffeine is highly water soluble pretty much all of the caffeine in your beans makes it into the drink, whether espresso or brewed. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Might the extra kick from brewed be due to using more actual coffee? Like 30g per mug instead of 18g per tiny cup?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I don't find it prevents me sleeping, so often will have one even 30m before bed.


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

froggystyle said:


> 12pm for me, then its tea and water!


Me too - apart from the tea which I do not drink. Just water. At weekends, sometimes red wine.


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## kikapu (Nov 18, 2012)

Brewed last one about 5. Espresso last one about 8pm although drinking any in the evening is rare as evenings usually filled by other things to do


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

1PM or so, maybe a bit later.

Never got into coffee in the evenings, at the weekend I usually have some wine on the go, during week just water.

I used to love a double espresso after a meal out, but these days (1) it's invariably terrible coffee (b) it just keeps me awake at night, so I just don't bother any more even though my body craves it.


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

I must be sensitive to caffeine as two days caffeine free gives me the mother of all headaches - feels like someone has pushed a poker through my temples.


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## ShortShots (Oct 2, 2013)

working dog said:


> Currently drinking liquorice and peppermint tea which I really enjoy


That tea is my go to for when I've had too much coffee, never fails to calm the jitters.

I usually cut off at 4pm though, otherwise its a restless night for me.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

working dog said:


> I must be sensitive to caffeine as two days caffeine free gives me the mother of all headaches - feels like someone has pushed a poker through my temples.


Most people I know who are addicted to coffee describe similar, it's almost flu like. I gave up for 13 weeks once, that first week was horrible - only beer got me through it.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

7pm for me, 8 at a push.

Don't tend to suffer caffeine withdrawal too much, if i've had a heavy weekend i'll stay off the caffeine for a few days to let my body stabilise again. No idea if there's any rational foundation to this but think when your body is struggling to get back to normal caffeine probably isn't ideal.


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