Decaf coffee is an excellent choice for people with very little caffeine tolerance. For some, it is their drink of choice. Regardless of why you chose to drink it, you would have wondered at some point whether decaf coffee is going to interfere with your sleep.
Will decaf coffee keep you awake? Decaf coffee will not keep you awake. It comes with 5gm of caffeine content which is a lot less when compared to the 100 to 200gm of caffeine intake from a regular coffee. Unless you drink 2 or more cups of decaf before going to bed, you should not have a problem falling asleep.
Why Does Decaf Coffee Fail To Keep You Awake?
Decaf coffee is what you get after removing most of the caffeine content from the green coffee beans.
The caffeine removal from green coffee beans is done through a couple of methods.
1. Swiss Water Method
2. Methyl Chloride Method
The Swiss water decaf method is the best as it delivers a coffee that is 99.95% free from caffeine. The Methyl Chloride method gives you 97% caffeine-free coffee.
One of the main reasons for drinking caffeinated coffee is to keep you active. The caffeine molecule present in these caffeinated beverages prevents you from falling asleep.
Drinking coffee without any caffeine will not have any effect on your activity. It won’t make you more active and will not prevent you from falling asleep.
The same argument holds true for decaf tea as well. Once the decaffeination process is done, it will not affect your sleep in any way. So you don’t have to worry about decaf coffee beans disrupting your sleep.
Is Decaf Coffee Good Before Bed?
Is it bad to drink decaf coffee at night? That’s the question we are going to cover in this section.
Decaf coffee comes with 97% less caffeine compared to regular coffee so you should be fine with a cup of decaf coffee before going to bed. Be careful to not have more than one cup as the caffeine content could add up easily. This might create problems when it comes to falling asleep.
Even if you restrict your decaf intake before bed to one cup a night, it is important to check a few things.
Make sure that your coffee is actually decaffeinated.
Many coffee shops sell decaffeinated coffee but it comes with at least 30gm of caffeine which is a lot more. Properly decaffeinated coffee should not have more than 5gm of caffeine in it.
If possible, pick a decaffeinated coffee that is made from the swiss water process. It is the most effective process and removes 99.95% of the caffeine from your coffee.
Not just before bed, you can also drink decaf coffee after 2 pm if you have the feeling that caffeine is detrimental to your life in any way.
Decaf doesn’t rob you of any of coffee’s benefits. It just eliminates the caffeine content but keeps all the other goodies intact.
I Still Can’t Fall Asleep.
If you can’t fall asleep even after reducing your caffeine intake significantly, it might be a good time to start checking your bedtime routine.
There is no way that decaf coffee is keeping you awake unless you’re gulping 3 or more cups of it.
Another reason might be the psychological effect that you’re drinking coffee and it should keep you awake. Even though your body doesn’t have any caffeine, your mind makes your body believe it does.
You can try reducing electronic gadget use before going to bed. This is a prime reason why people can’t fall asleep immediately. You can also try lowering your lights so it is darker.
If none of this helps you, then it is probably a good time to get the help of a medical professional so that you handle the problem in its infancy.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some burning questions that we often see on the internet about decaf coffee and sleep.
Does decaf coffee make you sleepy?
Decaf coffee does not make you sleepy. It comes with very little caffeine level that is responsible for the blocking of the adenosine receptors.
The more adenosine there is the more tired you’re going to feel.
If you had a regular coffee in the morning, its caffeine content would be in your body for at least 5 to 8 hours.
The caffeine would block your adenosine receptors making your brain feel no tiredness at all. Once the caffeine effect wears off, all the adenosine buildup hits the adenosine receptors and sends the signal to your brain that you are super tired.
Now, if you had your decaf just around that time, you might think that decaf made you tired. But it actually the wearing-off effect of the first coffee that is causing this tiredness.
How late can you drink decaf coffee at night?
Drinking decaf coffee 2 to 3 hours before you go to sleep should not be a problem in any way. Even though decaffeinated coffee comes with less than 5mg of caffeine, it can stay in your system for about 2 to 3 hours.
If you are planning to have a cup of decaf right before going to bed, we must say that it isn’t a great idea.
No, 5gm of caffeine isn’t going to keep you awake but it still will be in your system and that effect could add to something big if this becomes a habit over a long time.
Is decaf coffee a stimulant?
Decaffeinated coffee is not a stimulant. The main reason coffee is known as a stimulant is because of its caffeine content. Since decaf coffee comes with 97% less caffeine, it doesn’t have the same stimulating properties as regular brewed coffee.
As a coffee drinker, you should stick to regular caffeinated coffee if you’re looking for its stimulating property.
What is the point of Decaf coffee?
Decaf coffee comes with at least 97% less caffeine. It is geared toward people who want coffee but without all the caffeine. The coffee isn’t as bitter and strong as regular coffee but comes with a slightly softened taste.
Not only that, but decaf coffee is also a great choice of coffee for those with caffeine sensitivity issues.
If caffeine can affect your health, then switching to decaf coffee can be a good alternative.