30/01/2026
Try This Naturally: Set A Winter Caffeine Cut-Off Time
In the colder, darker months it is so easy to lean on endless cups of tea and coffee just to get through the day. The problem is, that extra afternoon caffeine can quietly disrupt your sleep and keep your nervous system in “wired but tired” mode.
This weekend, try setting yourself a gentle caffeine cut-off time.
Here is how I suggest doing it:
Choose a time that feels realistic for you, for example 12–2pm
Enjoy your usual morning tea or coffee without guilt
After your cut-off time, switch to herbal teas, hot water with lemon, rooibos or chicory “coffee”
Notice how your body and sleep feel over a few days
Why this can help:
Supports deeper, more restorative sleep
Reduces evening restlessness, palpitations and “tired but wired” feelings
Helps calm the nervous system, which is often under extra strain in winter
Encourages you to hydrate with non-caffeinated warm drinks instead
If you are very sensitive to caffeine, you may need an earlier cut-off, or to reduce your total intake. And if you have any medical conditions or are on medication, always follow the advice of your own doctor.
I see such a difference in patients’ sleep and anxiety levels when we simply move their last caffeinated drink earlier in the day.
Will you experiment with a winter caffeine cut-off this week and see what changes for you?