Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world that comes second to water. It is a crucial part of our lives, which we need either to kick start our day or just to enjoy a cup of java.  

Ha! As if there’s only one best time to drink coffee! You can have it in the morning, afternoon, evening, midnight, heck, even at 3:46AM if you want to!

The best time to drink coffee depends on your mood, your schedule, and your caffeine tolerance. Feeling groggy in the morning? Have a cup of joe to wake you up! Need a midday pick-me-up? Go ahead and sip on that latte.

Staying up late to finish a project? A cup of coffee might just be your new best friend. So really, there’s no need to stress over the best time to drink coffee. Just drink it whenever you want and enjoy the ride!

Can you drink coffee after 5 pm?

Coffee is a savior in disguise, especially for writers like us, so watching the clock before sipping it is really beyond question. It might come as a surprise to you, but according to some health experts, we must not consume coffee after 2 pm. Strange? I thought so too.

I’m going all scientific and technical here, so please bear with me.

Our body produces cortisol (i.e., the stress hormone) when we wake up, and it’s the lowest during the afternoon. So having a stimulant like coffee during the daytime can prove beneficial because high cortisol + coffee = added stress.

For an average person, it’s better to stop drinking coffee by 5 pm to smoothen the energy level.

I don’t want to believe it, but it is true.

Should you drink coffee after dinner?

Did you know that the Dutch have a name for consuming coffee post-dinner – ‘Koffie verkeed’ meaning reverse? They believe that having reversed coffee (i.e., more milk and less coffee) helps digest food better.

So, is having coffee after dinner a thing? Sometimes formal meals end with a cup of coffee, or some prefer coffee instead of desserts, but that’s about it.

I’m personally a night owl and my productive best at night. My hot cuppa helps me finish my work on time. I believe whether to have coffee at night or not is more of a sleeping question.

Do you want that restless and sleepless night? Or do you look at it as a peaceful night where you can sleep like a baby?

Scientific evidence indicates that having caffeine after dinner delays sleep and can also have adverse effects on the body clock as the effects of coffee can last up to 7 hours.

Let’s get real! Coffee does impact your sleep and can delay your body clock, but is it all that bad after all? You may lose a teeny tiny amount of critical nutrients and may not fall asleep faster, but this is unlikely to be harmful.

Should you drink coffee before or after a meal?

Traditionally, there is no right time to have coffee. You can have it as or when you please. Coffee is that magic drink that has almost zero calories. However, recent studies showed that it’s better to drink coffee AFTER breakfast, not before, for better metabolic control.

Having a cup of this joy before your meal can limit your food intake, hence aiding your weight loss process if that’s what you are looking for. But then some argue that having it after meals helps with digestion, as it’s somewhat diuretic and laxative. It helps to digest the food and feel better after a meal. 

It’s a tricky choice if you ask me. Caffeine is known to suppress hunger pangs, so drink it before a meal to keep track of your calorie intake.

Coffee tends to run faster in our system as compared to other solid foods. So, when you consume coffee right after your meal, it might block some of your nutrients.

My theory is that you should experiment. Do what suits your body best and helps you reach your personal goals. After all, coffee is the most liked beverage for some reason. Cheers!!