When I first encountered this question, I let out a burst of laughter. The best time to drink coffee? ALL.THE.TIME.

Well, that's just me and my dependence on caffeine to be fully functional. Many people are like me and start the day going for a cup of this caffeinated goodness immediately after rising. On the other hand, others believe it's healthier to wait a few hours to get its full benefits.

Coffee and Exercise

With its caffeine content, coffee is considered an effective performance enhancer for workouts. That rush we feel when the coffee kicks in is a perfect pre-workout drink. Coffee is a much cheaper alternative to pre-workout powders.

Coffee can help delay exercise fatigue while improving muscle strength.

Experts say that if you wish to enjoy the benefits of coffee for exercising, you need to consume the beverage 30-60 minutes before a workout.

Coffee and Sleep

Since coffee promotes alertness, wakefulness and increased energy, it can hamper with sound sleep. Triggered by caffeine, some people are troubled by insomnia while others experience heightened levels of anxiety.

As a stimulant, the side effects of coffee last from 3 to about 5 hours. Depending on certain factors, caffeine can stay in your body for over 5 hours.

So if you want to get a good night's sleep, we'd recommend you avoid consuming coffee for a minimum of 6 hours before sleeping.

Coffee and Mornings

It surprises me that for some people, coffee isn't their first drink in the morning. But there's a research-based reason for it that might just convert us.

According to studies, making coffee your first drink of the day decreases its energizing effects. One hormone is at its peak level when we wake up and it can hamper its cycle if we drink coffee.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a stress hormone that enhances alertness and focus. Its function includes regulating our metabolism, blood pressure and immune system response.

The hormone follows our sleep-wake-cycle, a schedule that is specific to each of us. The hormone is at its height some 30-45 minutes after rising and will decline throughout the day.

So if you regularly wake up at 6-6:30 in the morning, the best time for you to grab a cup of morning coffee is some time between 9 am to 11 am to experience the full benefit.

It's healthy to be able to use your natural energy and allow your body to go through its normal rhythm.

There's no limit to the amount of coffee you can drink a day. Some say 3 to 4 cups is a sufficient amount. The important thing is to stay healthy and have a lot of energy to do the things we want to do.