Nothing peps up your morning or turns around your afternoon slump like a cup of tea or coffee. But the caffeine can delay your body producing melatonin, a hormone that regulates your body clock and sleep pattern. It’s pretty addictive too, so you may need some convincing before you cut back.

Our Director of Psychological Services, Mark Winwood, offers 8 good reasons to watch what you’re consuming and curb your caffeine cravings. 

1. Get a better night’s sleep

Consuming caffeine, even 6 hours before bedtime, has been shown to disrupt sleep. Caffeine affects your sleep stages and cycles, influencing the amount of time spent in lighter sleep stages. It can also act as a trigger to wake you when you would naturally transition between REM (deep sleep) and Stage 1 (light sleep).

Caffeine also can influence your circadian rhythm; even one coffee after dinner can delay the production of melatonin by about 40 minutes, shifting your body clock.

If you need an boost – but don’t want to reach for a tea or coffee – there are some great caffeine-free pick-me-ups available. 

2. Have a calmer life and feel less stressed

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system within just 15 minutes of you finishing that cup – and the effects can last for hours.

Caffeine also increases your stress hormones (catecholamines.) This kicks off a chain reaction – releasing cortisol and increasing insulin – which can leave you feeling stressed rather than giving you the boost you wanted.

Stress can have a very physical impact on your body, as well as your mental health – here are some of the physical symptoms associated with stress. 

3. Fewer tummy grumbles

Studies suggest that coffee could contribute to acid reflux and heartburn. It also irritates the gallbladder and colon which may cause stomach pain and irregular bowel movements. 

4. Reduce urinary incontinence

Coffee irritates the bladder and can make existing incontinence worse. There are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce incontinence, and cutting back on caffeine is an important one. 

5. Improve your fertility

Quality sleep and less stress is a potent combination if you’re trying to start a family, so this small lifestyle change could help you fulfil your grand family plan. 

6. Bigger, healthier babies

You don’t have to abstain completely, but too much coffee during pregnancy has been linked to low birth weight, so drinking less is recommended. 

7. Get your X-Factor smile

Some caffeinated drinks, like coffee and fizzy drinks, are dental disasters – whether for sugar content or for staining your teeth. Drink more water and you’ll have more to smile about. 

8. Don’t mix caffeine and alcohol

There’s a trend among young people to consume energy drinks – and mix them with alcohol. Caffeine can mask the depressant effects of alcohol and research suggests that drinkers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are 3 times more likely to binge drink.