In other words, caffeine will naturally be least effective when cortisol is at its peak, which happens to be right around the time most people start chugging their morning pick-me-up. Brainfacts goes on to argue that using a drug when it’s needed is a key pharmacological principle, and drinking caffeine when it’s least effective means you’re more likely to develop a tolerance and need to up your dosage. Drinking a cup of coffee when your cortisol levels are low, on the other hand, will give it some more kick. Cortisol levels apparently swing up between noon and 1 pm, and between 5:30 and 6:40 pm. That leaves a couple windows of opportunity—most importantly, between 9:30 am and 11:30 am or so—where caffeine will really be able to do its job. One other Brainfacts tip: Since light has a major affect on our biological rhythm and will help cortisol production in the morning, making the morning commute without sunglasses will get the cortisol pumping more quickly. It might not be as stimulating as a cup of coffee, but it’s an au naturel way to wake up just a little bit faster.

Coffee is Least Effective Between 8 and 9 am

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