In my last blog post "Could Caffeine Be Your Sleep Thief", I discussed some of the problems that caffeine is causing for our sleep.

Here, I wish to outline my top 10 tips for developing a positive relationship with caffeine that will allow you to sleep better and still enjoy your coffee!

1. Set an unbreakable curfew – always enjoy your caffeine before noon (or earlier)

This means that your body will have time to remove the majority of it from your system before bedtime. The optimal curfew for most people will be 12 noon, however, if you are particularly sensitive to caffeine you might want to make your curfew earlier or even avoid it altogether.

2. Wait a few hours after waking up until you take your hit 

Circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol are naturally highest in the morning upon waking. If you wake up feeling at-all stressed, there’s no need to add to this, so glide gently into your day and enjoy the benefits of mid-morning caffeine...

Products containing caffeine are amongst the five most traded commodities on earth. 

It is the most widely used (and abused) psychoactive substance in the world and the only addictive substance that we readily give to children and teenagers. 

The reality is that we love caffeine, especially coffee.

There is little that can (or should) be done to change that, but with a little bit more awareness of your caffeine habits and some well-needed education on its potential side effects when over-consumed, we can be sure to enjoy our warm brew whilst still getting the best quality sleep possible.

Let’s start by busting some myths and identifying some home truths about caffeine. 

Home Truth #1: Caffeine does not ‘give you energy’

Caffeine hijacks the receptor sites of adenosine, a chemical which naturally accumulates in our brain over the course of the waking day that causes us to feel a natural pressure to go to sleep.

Caffeine blocks the ‘sleep...