How long does your caffeine high actually last?

Words by Sarah Mitchell for Body+Soul

It often feels like our morning coffee only really energises us for an hour or so. But how long does the caffeine high really last?

It’s easy to find your daily single-shot cappuccino quickly turning into three double-shot espressos as the caffeine high feels more out of reach.

Regardless of the time of your first one, the milk content or how fast you drink it, the energy hit can seem fleeting, vanishing just as quickly as it kicked in.

How far can you make your caffeine high stretch so you can actually feel alert enough to survive the workday?

How much caffeine is in your coffee or tea?

Depending on the type, processing method, and brewing of your coffee or tea, the caffeine content of your morning pick-me-up will differ.

But a 250ml cup of coffee contains about 95-165mg of caffeine, and a 30ml shot of espresso contains around 47-64mg, while a cup of decaf coffee can still contain two to five mg.

Your nighttime cuppa can also give you a bit of energy, with 250ml of black tea containing around 25-48mg of caffeine, and a cup of green tea having close to 25-29mg.

Genetics, age, weight, sex, your health, and whether you’ve eaten or not can all play a part in the time it takes for your body to process caffeine.

How long does the caffeine high last?

The effects of caffeine can be felt as soon as 10-15 minutes after sipping your coffee, but the caffeine high won’t peak for about 30-60 minutes.

During this peak, is when you can feel like you can type, talk and walk faster than any other time of the day, and really lock into your work.

On the other hand, it may also be when the shakes and rapid heart rate kick in.

Genetics, age, weight, sex, your health, and whether you’ve eaten or not can all play a part in the time it takes for your body to process caffeine.

But the high doesn’t just end when these feelings subside.

While you may feel like you need two more coffees once that energised feeling subsides, the caffeine high is actually likely to last another several hours.

The half-life of caffeine

A substance’s half-life is the amount of time it takes for it to be reduced to half of its initial amount.

According to Healthline, caffeine’s half-life is up to five hours, so if you drink a standard 30ml shot of coffee, five hours later, you can still have 15ml of caffeine in your body.

Other sources say it can range from two to 12 hours, depending on the individual but the point is, the energy kick can still be raging on well after the buzz has worn off.

Because of this, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, you can still feel the effects of your morning coffee well after lunch.

How your morning coffee can affect your sleep

This is why it’s typically recommended we have our last coffee at least eight hours before going to bed; otherwise, we may be trying to fall asleep while still caffeinated.

It’s not just your morning latte that can be fueling your body with energy. The stimulant naturally occurs in tea leaves, the cacao used to make chocolate, guarana berries in energy drinks and kola nuts used to make soft drinks.

So you may be consuming more caffeine throughout the day than you’re aware of, even if that caffeine high only really hits for that one glorious hour after your first coffee.

This article first appeared in Body+Soul as How long does your caffeine high actually last?