Cortisol, Coffee & the First 90 Minutes of Your Day

For many of us, coffee happens almost immediately after waking.

Eyes open. Kettle on. Coffee machine running.

But there's something interesting happening inside your body during those first minutes of the day — your cortisol is naturally rising.

And contrary to what wellness culture might have you believe, that's not necessarily something you want to stop.

In fact, you need it.

Neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman has spoken extensively about our natural morning cortisol rhythm and recommends delaying caffeine for approximately 90–120 minutes after waking.

So, should we all be waiting before having our morning coffee?

And perhaps more importantly...

What if you could delay the caffeine without delaying the ritual?

Cortisol isn't the enemy

Cortisol has developed a pretty terrible reputation.

It's commonly called the "stress hormone", and we're constantly being told to lower it.

But cortisol isn't inherently bad.

It's an essential hormone involved in metabolism, blood glucose regulation, immune function and our response to physical and psychological stress.

And every morning, your body deliberately produces more of it.

Cortisol follows a natural circadian rhythm, with levels rising around the time you wake and typically increasing rapidly during the first 30–45 minutes afterwards.

This is known as the cortisol awakening response.

Rather than being a sign that your body is stressed or something is wrong, this morning rise is part of the process that helps prepare your body and brain for the day ahead.

Your morning cortisol is supposed to rise.

Think of cortisol as a rhythm, not an enemy

Instead of thinking high cortisol = bad and low cortisol = good, it helps to think about cortisol as a daily rhythm.

Generally, we want cortisol higher around waking and lower as we approach our normal sleeping period.

That morning rise helps mobilise energy and prepare us for activity.

Later in the day, cortisol levels typically decline as our body moves towards rest.

So when we're talking about cortisol, timing matters.

And that brings us to coffee.

What happens when caffeine enters the picture?

Caffeine doesn't actually create energy.

One of the primary ways it makes us feel more alert is by blocking receptors for adenosine — a chemical involved in the buildup of sleep pressure.

Caffeine can also stimulate the body's stress-response system and temporarily increase cortisol levels.

How strongly this happens varies according to factors such as caffeine dose, time of day and how regularly you consume caffeine.

This doesn't mean caffeine is inherently bad.

And it certainly doesn't mean that having a morning coffee is "destroying your hormones", despite what you might have heard online.

But it raises an interesting question:

If your body already has a natural system helping you wake up, do you need to add caffeine the moment you open your eyes?

Why Dr Huberman recommends delaying caffeine

Dr Andrew Huberman has popularised the recommendation of waiting approximately 90–120 minutes after waking before consuming caffeine.

Part of the thinking is to allow your body's natural morning alertness mechanisms to unfold before introducing caffeine.

Huberman has also discussed caffeine timing in relation to adenosine and the afternoon energy slump many coffee drinkers experience.

It's important to distinguish this recommendation from established medical guidance.

There isn't a universal rule saying everyone must wait exactly 90 minutes before drinking coffee.

People respond differently to caffeine, and sleep, lifestyle, caffeine tolerance and individual routines all matter.

But as an experiment?

It's an interesting one.

Especially if you're someone who reaches for coffee before you've even properly woken up.

But what if you love coffee first thing?

This is where we think the conversation gets particularly interesting.

Because maybe what you're craving when you wake up isn't actually caffeine.

Maybe you're craving the ritual.

The warm mug.

The smell.

The creamy latte.

Standing quietly in the kitchen before the day begins.

That first comforting sip.

So what if you separated the two?

Have the coffee ritual now. Have the caffeine later.

Your morning could look something like:

Wake → water → morning light → Not Coffee → breakfast/movement → caffeinated coffee later

Not Coffee is naturally caffeine-free, so it allows you to have that familiar coffee-style ritual as soon as you wake without immediately introducing caffeine.

Then, if you still want your regular coffee 90 minutes or so later, have it.

You're not necessarily giving anything up.

You're simply changing the order.

And you might discover something interesting

Once you separate the ritual from the caffeine, you get an opportunity to notice what you're actually craving.

Do you genuinely want caffeine?

Or did you just want your morning cup?

Some days, you might still want your regular coffee later.

Other days, perhaps you won't.

And for someone wanting to reduce their overall caffeine intake, replacing that automatic first coffee with a caffeine-free alternative can be a much more approachable place to start than quitting coffee altogether.

It also gives you another option later in the day, when caffeine timing can become even more relevant.

Because caffeine can remain in your system for hours.

That afternoon coffee may still be influencing your body when you're trying to wind down for bed — potentially contributing to the familiar cycle of:

Poor sleep → tired morning → more caffeine → afternoon coffee → poor sleep → repeat.

Work with your body, not against it

Cortisol isn't something we need to fear.

Neither is caffeine.

The more useful conversation is about understanding what our bodies are already designed to do.

Your morning cortisol rise is there for a reason.

Morning light, movement, sleep and our natural circadian rhythms all contribute to the process of becoming awake and alert.

Caffeine can be something we choose to add to that equation — rather than something we automatically reach for before our feet have barely hit the floor.

So tomorrow morning, try an experiment.

Keep your favourite mug.

Keep your creamy morning drink.

Keep those five quiet minutes to yourself.

Just delay the caffeine.

Make your first cup a Not Coffee and, if you still want your regular coffee later, enjoy it then.

Because your first coffee of the day doesn't necessarily need caffeine.

Sometimes it's not about giving up the ritual. It's simply about changing what's in your cup.