How to avoid a caffeine crash

For the coffee lovers out there, caffeine can be a daily must-have. It’s what keeps you energized and alert for a long day, enhances cognitive performance, and tickles your taste buds.

The downside to your cup of joe is the energy crash that can sometimes come along with caffeine consumption. You may experience an initial boost in energy shortly after drinking a cup of coffee, but just a few hours later you might begin to feel tired or unable to concentrate (something known as a caffeine crash).

Normally, when your brain produces adenosine, you begin to feel tired. When you drink coffee, the caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors in your brain, blocking them and preventing you from feeling tired.

However, when the caffeine begins to break down, the adenosine receptors are no longer blocked, and adenosine floods into the brain. This causes you to suddenly feel tired.

Here are some top tips to avoid a caffeine crash.

Sip in moderation

While you don’t need to stop enjoying your morning coffee, moderation is still important.  Most healthy adults can enjoy up to 400 mg of caffeine each day.  This translates into about three cups of brewed coffee, depending on the size of your cup. If you are experiencing a caffeine crash, try reducing your intake by one cup to see if that makes a difference.

Focus on getting enough sleep

Refrain from consuming caffeine within 5-6 hours before bedtime as it can negatively impact the quality of your sleep and poor sleep lowers energy and increases fatigue. Although drinking coffee will seem like an easy solution, consuming caffeine when overtired will only make your crash more pronounced.

Ensuring you get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night will help you to stay energized and awake for the whole day and may lessen your need for caffeine.

Don't quit suddenly

Quitting caffeine suddenly may cause symptoms that resemble a caffeine crash, including tiredness, headaches or irritability. If you decide that you would like to become caffeine-free, slowly taper your caffeine consumption to avoid unpleasant side effects.

Although the caffeine crash is often associated with coffee, there are other beverages that contain caffeine, including tea and some soft drinks.