Will drinking coffee at 6 p.m. cause insomnia at night?

Generally speaking, whether drinking coffee at 6 p.m. leads to insomnia at night depends on an individual's sensitivity to caffeine. For those who are more sensitive to caffeine, it may cause difficulty sleeping; however, for individuals with higher tolerance to caffeine, it might not significantly affect their sleep. The detailed analysis is as follows:

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that helps increase alertness and reduce feelings of fatigue. Consuming caffeine at 6 p.m., especially for people highly sensitive to it, may lead to difficulty falling asleep, thereby affecting sleep quality and potentially causing insomnia.

For individuals with higher caffeine tolerance or those consuming lower amounts of caffeine, drinking coffee at 6 p.m. may not result in nighttime insomnia. The body typically metabolizes caffeine within 4 to 6 hours, so by bedtime, most of the caffeine may have been processed, minimizing its impact on sleep.

To avoid disrupting nighttime sleep, it is recommended to avoid consuming caffeinated beverages several hours before bedtime.