Why Your Morning Cup Of Coffee Is Making You Sleepier

Morning coffee, for many of us, is simply a habit. Drinking it basically sends a signal to our brain: "Yep, it's morning, time to get in gear and do all the things." As it contains caffeine, however, it does act as a mild stimulant, so it's also seen as something that helps us wake up. But what if it's having the opposite effect? If your morning coffee is making you sleepier does that mean you bought the wrong brand, or is something weird going on with your body? According to Alexander LeRitz, a registered dietitian who works for JM Nutrition, the problem is more likely to stem from your lifestyle than the beverage itself. 

"Caffeine works in the body by blocking adenosine receptors, and once caffeine is cleared in your system that adenosine floods back and can make that fatigue hit a bit harder," LeRitz told The Takeout. In other words, the caffeine isn't causing the problem, just masking it; and the effect is only temporary. As he explained, "If someone gets four to five hours of sleep the night prior and is using coffee to prop them up, once the caffeine wears off they are likely to experience that feeling of tiredness and fatigue as the lack of sleep catches up to them." He also warned that habitual coffee users may be more prone to feeling that fatigue: "High intakes of coffee over time can lead to tolerance and a blunting of the stimulatory effects of caffeine where now instead of providing a boost, caffeine maintains a baseline."

If coffee is no longer waking you up, here's what LeRitz advises: "The first step that I would recommend is to take an inventory of your habits and consider what coffee might be masking. Caffeine is highly effective at temporarily suppressing fatigue but often can be a Band-Aid that doesn't address underlying lifestyle factors." He suggested taking a look at your habits to see which of them — high stress levels, inadequate sleep, etc. — may be contributing to your fatigue.

One way to combat constant fatigue is to eat small meals throughout the day (every three to four hours) instead of skipping breakfast and lunch and consuming all your calories at dinnertime. Don't snack too much, though, since having to schlep excess weight around can also tire you out. Unsurprisingly, exercise is recommended as a fatigue fighter, so maybe do some jumping jacks or jog in place as you wait for your coffee to brew.

Dehydration is yet another factor that can make you feel tired. While coffee doesn't actually dehydrate you, despite being a diuretic (translation: it makes you pee), it's not as hydrating as water, so try to mix in a few glasses of plain old H2O as well. "Addressing these variables will often do far more than adjusting caffeine intake," LeRItz assured us.

So, will it help if you start your morning with tea instead of coffee? (And if so, which tea? Some teas make you sleepy, while others wake you up.) Would it be better if you switched to decaf? (Even though decaf coffee actually still contains some caffeine.) LeRitz says you really won't see a benefit from simply switching to another caffeinated drink: "If the feelings of tiredness and fatigue secondary to caffeine intake are truly the core problem, switching to another caffeine source is unlikely to make a meaningful difference as the mechanisms are the same no matter the source." Taking a break from caffeine could help your body better regulate itself and reduce your caffeine tolerance, but LeRitz reiterated the points he made about lifestyle choices, saying, "For those that are looking for a natural boost, the answer is not very exciting or glamorous, but consistent sleep, regular meals, drinking fluids, and moving regularly will give a more long-term boost."

The good news is these lifestyle changes need not involve giving up coffee, although you may want to avoid it in the late afternoon and evening if you're having trouble. The stimulant effect can last up to seven hours, which will interfere with getting good sleep if you drink it too late in the day. If your regular bedtime is 11 p.m., you should probably avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages after 4 p.m.