Waiting a couple of hours before having your first cup of coffee has become a health trend on social media.
Sarah Choi from Healthline tested it for a week to see if it made any difference.
What the research says
There is only limited high-quality research on the effects of delaying morning coffee.
A 2024 study found that it does not necessarily help prevent a spike in cortisol or an afternoon "crash".
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Cortisol and caffeine
The study showed that cortisol levels still rise when coffee is consumed later.
However, the increase is less pronounced in people who consume about 200 mg of caffeine per day and almost absent in those who consume 300–600 mg daily.
No change in daily rhythm
The researchers also found no evidence that caffeine affects the body’s natural cortisol patterns throughout the day.
No harm in changing the timing
There is no proven harm in adjusting the time you drink your coffee, which means experimenting with it comes with little risk.
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Sarah’s setup
Sarah Choi, writer for Healthline, usually wakes up around 8:30 a.m. and drinks two shots of espresso within 30 minutes which is about 130 mg of caffeine.
For this experiment, she delayed her first coffee until 10:30 a.m.
Sarah’s coffee habit
Her typical coffee routine includes iced espresso with oat milk and a touch of maple syrup, which she continued during the trial.
How she felt
Sarah didn’t notice any major differences in energy, focus, or stress levels.
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However, she did feel more tired during the first couple of hours in the morning before having her coffee.
The afternoon slump
Just like before, she still experienced a mid-afternoon energy dip around 3 p.m. Delaying her coffee did not change this.
Would she do this again?
No. Sarah didn’t experience any benefits. On the contrary, she felt more tired in the morning, which affected her productivity, while the afternoon crash still happened.
Possible alternatives
One way she found to avoid the afternoon slump could be to replace coffee with matcha, which has a different caffeine profile.
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No scientific evidence
There is no scientific evidence that delaying morning coffee helps reduce cortisol or prevents an afternoon crash.
For Sarah, it made no difference, but coffee timing is a personal choice that may affect people differently.
This article is based on information from Healthline.com.
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