I need a caffeine boost in the morning to properly function.
And I'm not alone – according to a Reuters study, 65 percent of Americans have coffee every day, and more than 85% drink it regularly.
But, according to CNBC, there's a specific time of day you should drink your coffee if you want to feel the best results.
Laura Cipullo, a registered dietitian and author of Women's Health Body Clock Diet, told CNBC that drinking your morning coffee as soon as you wake up could cause jitters and make you feel too hyper.
The sweet spot, she said, is a few hours later.
When you first wake up, your body is full of the stress hormone cortisol, which can make you feel anxious anyway.
Adding caffeine into the mix can only elevate this response. It can also make you feel tired and sluggish later on, so you're better off drinking coffee later in the morning, or simply getting enough sleep the night before.
"Have coffee when the body is producing less cortisol, about three to four hours after waking," Cipullo said – so between 9 am and 11 am.
Whatever you do, try not to drink coffee in the evening, as caffeine can stay in your system and affect your wakefulness for up to six hours, even though the effect peaks about 30 to 60 minutes after consumption.
Research has shown coffee has various health benefits. It has been connected to better health and a longer life, and having coffee as part of your diet may protect against heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
But it's important to drink it in moderation, because too much caffeine may cause symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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