31XP
Caffeine cut total sleep by 45 minutes and deep sleep by 11 minutes on average across 24 studies, and a cup of coffee needed to be at least 8.8 hours before bedtime to avoid losing sleep.
Protocol
Caffeine Curfew
Having your last coffee, tea or energy drink at least 8 to 9 hours before bed.
Pairs well withCaffeine, Consistent Sleep Schedule, Dim Lights
Evidence-backed benefits
How Caffeine Curfew can help, goal by goal, with the studies behind each score.
How to read XP
Each score is for this protocol and that specific goal, not a general rating.
XP combines how reliable the research is with how much difference it usually makes. Higher means stronger evidence for that protocol and that goal.
Limited<15 XPModest15–27 XPModerate28–44 XPReliable45–69 XPHigh70+ XP
How to do it
Every day. Count back about 9 hours from your bedtime to find your cutoff.
The good-enough version
No caffeine within 6 hours of bed.
Common mistakes
- Thinking 'I fall asleep fine' means sleep is unaffected (deep sleep still drops)
- Forgetting tea and cola
- A late pre-workout drink
- Cutting the morning coffee instead of the afternoon one
Your journey
Sleep can improve the first night. Give it one to two weeks to judge. An estimate from the studies' timelines, not a promise: everyone responds differently.
From the first noticeable effect to roughly full strength. Colour follows the XP tier of each benefit.
Make it a habit
These gains come from steady use, not a single dose. Keep Caffeine Curfew in your routine for about week 2 before you judge it.
Safety
What to know before you try Caffeine Curfew.
Safety rating
Well tolerated
Mild effects, if any.
- A few sluggish afternoonsExpect a few flat afternoons. A short walk or daylight helps.
Check with a doctor first if you get severe headaches when you cut back on caffeine.
General information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, take medication or have a health condition, check with a doctor or pharmacist first.
Common pairings
Supplements and habits that go well with Caffeine Curfew.
Caffeine
Keeps caffeine's benefits without the cost to sleep.
Consistent Sleep Schedule
Both work on the same body clock.
Dim Lights
Both remove things that keep you awake in the evening.
Authority
Public figures who practise or recommend Caffeine Curfew. Portraits are AI-generated, not real photos, and this is not an endorsement.
Matthew Walker
Sleep scientist
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