Does Instant Coffee Keep You Awake? Answered Here!

Instant coffee sure solves a lot of problems that regular coffee drinkers face. The most important one being it saves time. You do not have to go through the process of grinding coffee beans, brewing coffee, and then frothing milk to make one cup of coffee.

It also tastes almost similar to a cafe-style coffee. But, does it really solve THE problem? Most people drink coffee in the morning to stay awake, get the caffeine buzz, and of course for the actual taste and flavor of the coffee.

So, the question remains does instant coffee keep you awake? Yes, Instant coffee keeps you awake. The caffeine in instant coffee is comparatively less than a cup of freshly brewed coffee, but it still contains a relative amount of caffeine. Once you consume caffeine, it helps you stay alert and awake. 

However, the question of how effective instant coffee is in keeping you awake is quite interesting. In this article, learn everything there is to know about caffeine in instant coffee and how long it can keep you awake. Want to learn hacks on how to stay awake with coffee? Continue reading!

Can Nescafe Coffee Keep You Awake?

Like any other instant coffee, Nescafe also contains caffeine. Therefore, Nescafe can help you stay awake and alert.

How Much Caffeine Is There In Instant Coffee?

If you know how instant coffee is made (a concentrated version of brewed coffee) you would think it contains more caffeine than brewed coffee. However, instant coffee contains less caffeine than brewed coffee. According to USDA, 1 rounded teaspoon of instant coffee contains around 57 mg of caffeine. 

[Also Read: Does Instant Coffee Have Less Caffeine Than Brewed Coffee]

How Much Caffeine Is In A Regular Cup of Coffee?

There are several factors that affect the caffeine content in a cup of coffee. Different roasts and brewing methods can have different amounts of caffeine content. On average, one cup of brewed coffee contains around 95 mg of caffeine.

How Does Caffeine Work?

Caffeine is a stimulant that increases the activity of your brain and nervous system. Once you consume coffee or any other drink that contains caffeine, it starts distributing itself in your body.

Slowly, you will start feeling the most potent effect that caffeine has on our body, what we also like to call the caffeine buzz. It does so by blocking sleep-promoting receptors in our brain which helps us stay alert and awake.

Caffeine is able to do so because it looks very similar to another naturally occurring molecule in our body known as adenosine. Adenosine helps regulate sleep in our body. The levels of adenosine are low when you wake up in the morning and it builds through the day.

Adenosine binds to these sleep receptors, which then build up during the day and make you feel sleepy. Similar to adenosine, caffeine can bind itself to these receptors as well. Except, caffeine has a different effect on them. Caffeine prevents adenosine from activating the sleep receptors in turn keeping you awake.

[Must Read: Does Frappuccino Have Caffeine]

How Long Does It Take For Caffeine To Exit The Body?

How long your body takes to absorb the caffeine and then lose its original effects can vary on a lot of factors like your age, energy level, daily activities, etc. Still, If we had to give a timeline on how long it takes for caffeine to exit your body, here is the answer.

The first question should not be how long it takes for the caffeine to exit, it should be how long it takes for the caffeine to kick in. It normally takes somewhere around 30 to 60 minutes for the caffeine to actually kick in and show its effects.

Post which, the half-life of caffeine i.e; the half amount of caffeine that was ingested takes anywhere between three to six hours to exit your body. For example, if you had one cup of coffee which has around 95 mg of caffeine, it will take around 6 hours for that to leave your body.

And then after another six hours, the rest of the caffeine leaves the body. This means that the caffeine present in 1 cup of coffee can stay in your bloodstream for about 10 to 12 hours.

Which Coffee Is Best For Staying Awake?

If you are looking for a coffee that can help you stay awake then instant coffee isn’t the best choice. Instant coffee has a relatively low amount of caffeine than a cup of brewed coffee or espresso.

Therefore, if you are looking for a strong cup of coffee, go for an espresso shot or an Americano. With that being said, it is important to note that consuming too much coffee can lead to sleep deprivation which clouds your brain and prevents you from thinking clearly. Excessive caffeine consumption can also trigger insomnia. 

Want to find out the caffeine content in 2 shots of espresso? Read this guide to find out more!

How Much Caffeine Should You Consume In A Day?

The FDA recommends not more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. 4 cups of brewed coffee contain around 400mg of caffeine.

Is It Good To Drink Instant At Night?

As we mentioned earlier 95mg of caffeine can take up to 10 hours to exit our body. Therefore, even with instant coffee, it can take anywhere from 6 to 7 hours to exit our body. In order to have a good night’s sleep avoid taking instant coffee at night as it might interfere with your sleep cycle.

Does Adding Milk To Coffee Reduce Caffeine?

Adding milk to coffee does not reduce the amount of caffeine present in the cup. Adding milk to your cup of coffee has other significant effects like reducing the bitterness, altering the texture of coffee, and adding a sweet taste, but caffeine reduction is not one of them.

We wrote a detailed article on the effects of adding milk to caffeine. Does it reduce caffeine or not? Find out more here.

Can You Add Instant Coffee Directly To Hot Milk?

Yes, you can definitely add instant coffee to milk. In fact, many people choose to have instant coffee directly with milk and not water. Thanks to its powder-like consistency, it dissolves very easily and tastes like a fresh cup of brew.

Read more on adding instant coffee directly to hot milk here. 

Instant Coffee: Pros & Cons

Like any other food ingredient, instant coffee has its own share of good and bad. Anything including instant coffee if consumed in moderation, should not have detrimental health effects on your body. Here are some pros and cons we found for instant coffee-

Pros

One of the biggest advantages of consuming instant coffee is the fact that it is instant, which means all you need is the coffee granules and some water or milk. It is a huge time saver for people who are in rush in the morning and need a quick coffee fix.

Other than that, instant coffee has a high amount of antioxidants in them and they promote several health benefits like stimulating brain function, giving high energy, reducing the risk of diseases, and also boosting metabolism.

Cons

With the good also comes bad, instant coffee can have certain health risks. One of which is for people who are not comfortable around caffeine, drinking instant coffee despite the fact that it contains less caffeine can result in anxiety or an upset stomach.

Another disadvantage of instant coffee is the presence of a chemical compound called acrylamide. Acrylamide is found in other food ingredients as well and is created during the roasting process of coffee. Instant coffee has double the amount of acrylamide than regular coffee beans. Researchers claim these compounds can lead to serious health risks. 

Final Thoughts

That was all on if instant coffee can help you stay awake. We hope to have cleared the confusion around caffeine and its correlation to being awake. Instant coffee when consumed in moderation is a good ingredient to add to your daily diet. 

However, if you’re using it as a source to stay awake and consuming more than the recommended amount it can be detrimental to your health. Therefore, that one or two cups of coffee to feel fresh and alert, but know when to stop.

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