Some say, “What’s the point of drinking decaffeinated coffee?”
For those people, coffee is a morning beverage. The aroma, the taste, added sugar, and cream gives them a kick that helps them wake up to greet and meet the new day.
When it comes to the holiday season, with the pies, desserts, and gatherings of friends and family, coffee serves another purpose: it accompanies dessert. The somewhat bitter flavor (depending on how much sweetener you add) contrasts nicely with the typical sweetness of a dessert. It’s usually served later in the day. So don’t forget the decaf before bed. Nothing goes so well with dessert.
There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy
When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie—Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish‘s lyrics to “Sleigh Ride” describe the scene after an evening of cruising around on a sleigh.
Better make it decaf if you don’t want to run the risk of ruining your sleep.
Nothing goes with those pies better than coffee. While decaf coffee usually has some caffeine in it, it’s usually much less than regular coffee. The sugar in the dessert might affect your sleep, as well as your overeating, would. You’re going to have one less thing to worry about if you stick to decaffeinated coffee.
If you have company over, realize coffee is the more popular choice. That’s because it goes well with more desserts. As an alternative, try an herbal tea, especially peppermint.
Oh, but caffeine doesn’t affect me, some say.
They might not be lying. It could be true for them, at least as far as their personal experience. Yet, caffeine affects most people. If it didn’t, drug developers and manufacturers wouldn’t include it in many stay-awake preparations. According to studies conducted by the military on caffeine, the average half-life of caffeine in the system is five hours for most people. For some, the half-life may be as long as 10 hours. While the caffeine may not affect your after-dinner sleep, chances are it’ll affect at least one of your guests’.
How much caffeine is in decaffeinated coffee?
Decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine in it, from two to 15 milligrams. That’s at least five times less than the 80 to 100 milligrams found in the regular brew. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you’d be well advised to stick to decaffeinated coffee before bed. Your system is much more likely to clear it faster, leaving you feeling well-rested and happier. It will also have many of the antioxidants (though not all) present in regular coffee making it a win for your system.
For further reading:
Is decaffeinated coffee bad for you?
(Video) Decaf coffee: good or bad?
How to make caffeine leave your system.
Chicory root as a coffee replacement
James Cobb, RN, MSN, is an emergency department nurse and the founder of the Dream Recovery System. His goal is to provide his readers with simple, actionable ways to improve their health and maximize their quality of life.
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