Stop caffeine after 2pmroutinewellness

This is a practical daily routine. Use “Stop caffeine after 2pm” as a small habit you can repeat.

A cup of coffee at 3pm gets me through the afternoon. However, the reason why my eyes become clear at 11 p.m. is often because of that drink. Caffeine half-life is 5 to 6 hours. If you drink it at 3 o'clock, it will remain in your blood until 9 o'clock.

Quitting afternoon caffeine isn't about abstinence, it's about deciding when to have that last drink. 2:00, 1:30—whatever cutoff works for you.

Energy drinks, green tea, and chocolate also contain caffeine. The key is to remove ‘all caffeinated drinks’ from the list after 2pm, not just ‘coffee’.

Quitting caffeine in the afternoon is not about not being able to drink it, but about “setting a final time.” Leave the caffeine for breakfast and lunch the same, only change it for the afternoon.

2pm, last drink

Have your last caffeinated beverage between 1:30 and 2:00 PM after lunch. Americano, green tea, cola—any form. After 2 o'clock, substitute decaffeinated tea, herbal tea, or water.

When you feel sleepy in the afternoon, it is often more effective to take a 5-minute walk or stand by a window to get some light. Caffeine lends alertness, but you have to repay it at night.

If the meeting ends at 2 o'clock, you can have one last drink as soon as it ends. Change your ‘coffee after meeting’ habit to ‘last caffeine after meeting’.

On days when you follow the 2pm cutoff, record the speed at which your eyes close at 11pm. You can physically see the effects by comparing after 2 weeks.

It is also best to avoid decaffeinated coffee after 2 p.m. Even if you drink it without caffeine, it can affect your sleep at night if you drink it regularly.

Alternative drinks and habits

When the 3 PM slump comes, prepare lukewarm water, caffeine-free barley tea, and water with lemon. Even if there's only one bottle in the fridge, you'll stop wondering, 'Coffee again?'

If you stick to it for about two weeks, your falling asleep time will often be 20 to 30 minutes earlier. If you keep the same hours on the weekend, your sleep on Monday night will be less disturbed.

Caffeine sensitivity varies from person to person. If 2 o'clock is too late, adjust it to 1 o'clock, and if it is too early, adjust it to 2:30. The important thing is that there is an end to the ‘last drink’.

Afternoon sleepiness, the other way around

If you wake up for just 5 minutes at 3 p.m. and stand by the window or climb one flight of stairs, you will feel more alert even without caffeine. Moving your body is a healthier solution to the afternoon slump.

You don’t have to keep it perfectly. If you just record ‘today it was past 2 o’clock,’ it will be easier to stick to the cutoff the next day.

On the day you quit afternoon caffeine, record the speed at which your eyes close at 10 p.m. If you compare after two weeks, you can physically see the effect of the cutoff.