Bedtime at 9:30 pm: when to stop caffeine
For a 9:30 pm bedtime, finish a mug of filter coffee by 2:06 pm, a single espresso by 5:26 pm and a can of Monster by 9:54 am. After that hour, more than 40 mg is still active when you lie down.
Half past nine is a common bedtime for a 5:30 am alarm. The cutoff for a mug of filter coffee is 2:06 pm, so the mid-afternoon cup is the one to give up.
If the afternoon slump is the problem, the smaller doses still fit. An espresso is fine until 5:26 pm and a can of Red Bull until 3:36 pm. The size of the drink matters more than what it is called.
The last hour for each drink
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Finish it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-workout | scoop | 201 mg | 8:02 am |
| Caffeine pill | 200 mg tablet | 200 mg | 8:04 am |
| Celsius | 12 oz can | 199 mg | 8:06 am |
| Alani Nu | 12 oz can | 199 mg | 8:06 am |
| Cold brew | 10.1 oz cup | 180 mg | 8:56 am |
| Monster | 16.9 oz can | 160 mg | 9:54 am |
| Rockstar | 16 oz can | 151 mg | 10:23 am |
| Double espresso | 2 oz shot | 127 mg | 11:48 am |
| Flat white | 5.4 oz cup | 125 mg | 11:56 am |
| Moka pot | 3.4 oz cup | 100 mg | 1:46 pm |
| Filter coffee | 8 oz cup | 96 mg | 2:06 pm |
| Cortado | 4.1 oz cup | 96 mg | 2:06 pm |
| Yerba mate | 8 oz cup | 84 mg | 3:12 pm |
| Red Bull | 8.4 oz can | 80 mg | 3:36 pm |
| Matcha | 8 oz cup | 67 mg | 5:04 pm |
| Instant coffee | 8 oz cup | 65 mg | 5:19 pm |
| Espresso | 1 oz shot | 64 mg | 5:26 pm |
| Cappuccino | 6.8 oz cup | 64 mg | 5:26 pm |
| Americano | 8 oz cup | 62 mg | 5:42 pm |
| Latte | 8 oz cup | 62 mg | 5:42 pm |
| Mountain Dew | 11.2 oz can | 50 mg | 7:28 pm |
| Black tea | 8 oz cup | 48 mg | 7:48 pm |
| Ristretto | 0.7 oz shot | 44 mg | 8:37 pm |
| Diet Coke | 11.2 oz can | 42 mg | 8:45 pm |
What you can drink at any hour
These stay under the 40 mg sleep threshold on their own: Dr Pepper (40 mg), dark chocolate (40 mg), oolong (38 mg), white tea (36 mg), Pepsi (36 mg), Coke Zero (33 mg), Coca-Cola (32 mg), chai latte (30 mg), green tea (29 mg), milk chocolate (10 mg), decaf coffee (3 mg), herbal tea (0 mg).
If you know the milligrams
| Dose | Finish it by |
|---|---|
| 50 mg | 7:28 pm |
| 100 mg | 1:46 pm |
| 150 mg | 10:26 am |
| 200 mg | 8:04 am |
| 250 mg | 6:14 am |
| 300 mg | 4:44 am the night before |
| 400 mg | 2:22 am the night before |
| 500 mg | 12:32 am the night before |
| 600 mg | the day before |
If you clear caffeine faster or slower
The times above are for an average adult. A fast metaboliser gains two hours or more, a slow one loses as much.
| Metabolism | Filter coffee | Espresso | Monster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | 4:06 pm | 6:30 pm | 1:04 pm |
| Average | 2:06 pm | 5:26 pm | 9:54 am |
| Slow | 11:23 am | 3:59 pm | 5:35 am |
Common questions
What time should I stop drinking coffee if I go to bed at 9:30 pm?
Finish a regular mug of filter coffee (96 mg) by 2:06 pm. A single espresso is fine until 5:26 pm, and a large cold brew needs to be finished by 8:56 am.
Can I have an espresso after dinner with a 9:30 pm bedtime?
Not if you want it gone by bedtime. A single espresso needs to be finished by 5:26 pm, which is before most people eat. Decaf is the safe choice after dinner on this schedule.
What can I drink in the evening without losing sleep?
Anything that stays under 40 mg a serving: Dr Pepper, oolong, white tea, Pepsi, Coke Zero, Coca-Cola, chai latte, green tea, decaf coffee, herbal tea. They still add to caffeine that has not cleared from earlier in the day.
What if I clear caffeine slowly?
Stop earlier. For a slow metaboliser going to bed at 9:30 pm, the cutoff for a mug of filter coffee moves from 2:06 pm to 11:23 am.
Other bedtimes
Read next
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is calculated with the model the Cira app uses: caffeine peaks 45 minutes after you take it and halves every 5.7 hours, a typical value for healthy adults. The 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. These are averages. Smoking, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and some medicines change how fast you clear caffeine. How the numbers are worked out.
