Do you drink coffee because of its flavor or for the energy boost? If you love to sip on a delicious cup of fresh coffee for the taste alone, decaf coffee is the best option for drinking all day, anytime (it’s quickly becoming an integral part of my daily routine). Decaf coffee is also one of the greatest inventions for coffee drinkers who are highly sensitive to the effects of caffeine. Coffee drinkers experience a win-win” with decaf coffee, packed with all the flavor but free of caffeine. But is decaf coffee truly decaffeinated? Does decaf coffee keep you awake? I’ll help you explore the caffeine content in decaf coffee and how it can impact your sleep.
Does decaf coffee keep you awake?
According to James from Decadent Decaf Coffee Company, decaffeinated coffee will not keep you awake. Although decaffeinated coffee is not 100% caffeine-free, the caffeine that remains is minimal and unlikely to affect your ability to sleep. For example, decaffeinated coffee using the Swiss Water decaf process removes 99.9% of the caffeine from coffee beans. This method removes the most possible caffeine out of any of the decaf coffee methods. However, according to Swiss Water Decaf, several variables can affect how much caffeine remains in a cup of coffee after undergoing the Swiss Water decaf process. Regardless, the average cup of decaf coffee still only contains about 2 milligrams of caffeine.
Other decaffination methods, such as those that use chemical solvents like Methylene Chloride or Ethyl Acetate, remove up to 97% of caffeine from coffee beans. Like with Swiss Water Decaf, varying methods can alter exact caffeine levels slightly. Still, the average decaf cup will only contain 2 to 15 milligrams of caffeine per cup.
Regardless of the decaffeination method used, James said the amount of caffeine in both decaf coffees is negligible. With this in mind, you’d potentially have to drink a pretty hefty amount of decaf coffee before bed to keep you awake. Highly sensitive individuals could be slightly impacted, though it’s unlikely to occur after drinking just one cup of decaf coffee. Although decaf coffee probably won’t keep you awake, consuming too much liquid before could impact your sleep. If you drink decaf before bed, be mindful to consume it with enough time before lying down to avoid excessive bathroom trips.
Psychosomatic effects
In most cases, the answer to “Does decaf coffee keep you awake?” is no. Yet, some decaf coffee drinkers swear their decaf cup of joe keeps them awake at night. James refers to this as a psychosomatic effect of drinking decaf coffee. For those people, he said, it’s probably more important to look at your sleeping routine and behavior before bed, such as not using electronics in the bedroom and paying close attention to the light sources in your bedroom. Many people who struggle to fall asleep at night may believe decaf coffee is playing a role in keeping them awake, but there’s a higher-than-likely chance their alertness is due to other poor sleep hygiene habits.
Why do people drink decaf coffee at night?
Drinking decaf coffee at night is one of my favorite post-dinner rituals. Often paired with dessert, coffee at night allows many to enjoy its flavor without experiencing the effects of caffeine. If you want a coffee and look at the time and it’s past 5 p.m., it’s probably best to choose decaf over regular coffee. Most experts recommend cutting off your caffeine intake at least five to six hours before bedtime to avoid potential sleep disruptions.
On average, an 8-ounce cup of regular coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, which increases alertness and makes it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Even for those with a high caffeine intolerance, drinking regular coffee too close to bed can impact your sleep quality without you realizing it. Options such as half-caff coffee still contain 40 to 50 mg of caffeine per serving, which is still enough caffeine to keep you awake.
As a long-time coffee drinker, I understand many coffee drinkers’ hesitation surrounding decaf coffee. In the past, decaf coffee has gotten a bit of a bad rep for having a “weakened” flavor compared to regular coffee. For this reason, I love drinking decaf coffee that has been decaffeinated using the Swiss Water method. I find the flavor of this type of decaf coffee is just as bold and flavorful as the real thing. Since the decaf coffee trend has emerged, there are now even more decaffeinated coffee options on the market than before. Want cold brew before bed? Options like STOK decaf cold brew are great for a nightcap, as are decaf cold brew concentrates.
