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Sleep
beginner
Strong Evidence

Caffeine Curfew Audit

Move caffeine earlier and test a personal cutoff, starting at least 8 hours before bedtime for sensitive sleepers.

Time
1 min/day
Cost
Free
Equipment
None required
Min. Trial
10 days

Dosage & Timing

Duration
1 min
Frequency
Daily
Best Time
midday

Evidence Strength

4/5 — Strong
EvidenceStrong

Controlled trials show caffeine can impair sleep even when taken several hours before bed.

Overview

Move caffeine earlier and test a personal cutoff, starting at least 8 hours before bedtime for sensitive sleepers.

Wellness education and routine support only. Review the evidence, caveats, and interactions before trying this protocol, and ask a clinician when medical conditions, pregnancy, medications, or symptoms are involved.

How To Do It

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Write down your usual bedtime.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Set caffeine cutoff 8 hours before that target bedtime.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Keep the morning dose stable while testing the cutoff.

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Compare sleep latency and awakenings after 10 nights.

The Evidence

Each claim is linked to its source study. Confidence reflects the study design — systematic reviews and RCTs rank highest.

Caffeine consumed even 6 hours before bedtime produced measurable sleep disruption.

Source Context

Primary references behind the protocol summary.

1 primary source
Randomized TrialCaffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24235903/)

Interactions & Warnings

Review 2 contraindications and 1 interaction note before adding this protocol to a routine.

Contraindications

  • Caffeine withdrawal headaches
  • Pregnancy or medication guidance requiring clinician review

Interactions

  • Supports blue light reduction and sleep diary protocols

What To Track

These are review prompts for your own routine notes, not expected improvements or medical outcome targets.

Caffeine cutoff adherence
Sleep latency
Night awakenings

Routine actions change your saved plan after sign-in. The protocol guidance above remains wellness education, not a personalized recommendation or expected outcome.

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