I’ll sleep when I’m dead

Balancing Sleep and Coffee: Optimizing Your Routine Without Losing the Ritual

In recent years, the conversation around sleep and coffee has taken center stage, with experts like Andrew Huberman and James Hoffmann offering differing opinions on how the two intersect. This week, Hoffmann took some jabs at Huberman, defending important territory in the coffee space; mornings..

Andrew Huberman, a known neuroscientist, advocates waiting at least 90 minutes after waking up before consuming coffee, arguing that drinking coffee immediately can interfere with the body’s natural cortisol production, potentially disrupting energy levels throughout the day.

James Hoffmann, a renowned coffee expert and YouTuber, as well as 2007 World Barista Champion, recently released a video directly challenging Huberman’s thesis, suggesting that this timing might not be as crucial as some believe.

The timing of coffee consumption is undoubtedly important, but as Hoffmann highlights, the significance of a strict 90-minute delay might be overstated and altering that routine may have unintended consequences.

What if we look at this from a business lens?

From a market perspective, delaying coffee intake by 90 minutes could lead to a significant drop in consumption during a critical morning window, potentially decreasing market share for coffee brands by simply recommending to close the consumption window. Most people are already scared to drink coffee in the afternoon—please, don’t take away our morning brew!

Whether you choose to follow Huberman’s advice or maintain your usual routine, obviously the key is to find a balance that works best for you.

Dave’s Take

Sleep Performance: I used to be the guy who’d say, “Sleep is for the weak,” or “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” I was up at 5:10 AM every day for the 6 AM gym class, but by 2 PM, I was exhausted, irritable, and annoyed by the smallest things. Then I read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and got a WHOOP to track my sleep. Everything changed. Now, I’m in bed by 9:30 PM, asleep by 10:00, and waking up at 7:00, focusing on getting quality deep and REM sleep.

All this is to say—sleep is important. But for me, coffee is just as important.

Andrew Huberman has lots of tips for a better life. Some might call him a “wellness bro,” while others see him as a guide. I’ve tried shifting my morning coffee time based on his advice, but honestly, I haven’t noticed much of a difference. The ritual of making coffee first thing in the morning is something I love, and no health trend is going to change that for me.

Cole’s Take

You’re putting me to sleep: I’ve also been tracking my sleep data using WHOOP. I’ve made conscious changes in my routine to try and maximize my sleep quality and quantity, including playing with my coffee consumption to see how it affects my sleep data, which it doesn’t. While I’ve experimented with delaying my first cup of coffee in line with Huberman’s recommendations, I prefer sticking to my routine as I don’t notice any impact. Note, I can easily go a day without coffee or any form of caffeine and often do!

Dollars and cents: Our industry is heavily rooted in morning consumption globally. If the bulk of the coffee consuming world decides to not have a coffee within 60 – 90 minutes of waking up, how much overall consumption opportunity do we lose out on as a collective industry?

Let’s assume the average person wakes up a 6:00 AM and only drinks coffee in the morning. We have a six-hour window of opportunity, which Andrew is proposing to take 25% of.

I personally think James is taking a bit of a stab at Andrew to try and defend our territory and, I love it. I’m not sleeping on this one 😉

Would love to hear from you about your personal relationship between coffee consumption and sleep patterns. Is this something you’ve been concise of in your daily routine? Reply to this email or drop a comment here.

Reading: Our friends over at Common Grounds are serving up aces with a new Jakarta café, which features a full-size tennis court. This unique venue blends a super sleek design with sporty charm, offering a one-of-a-kind coffee experience. Imagine enjoying a game of tennis and maybe even a 1-on-1 with the current World Barista Champion!

Watching: This week, we’re watching the “It’s Just Coffee” podcast/video, where Rowan and Kirk dive into the nail-biting 2024 World Barista Championship. They react to the final rankings and presentations, offering interesting and fun insights as they break down the top two routines. Very fun for us to get reactions from the community on Mikael’s presentation.

Listening: One of the greatest – Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar score is a masterpiece of emotion and vastness. This live epic captures mindfulness, beauty, and the essence of coffee.

Brewing: We are rocking a pretty incredible trio of coffees that nicely pair with our buddies Kirk and Rowan conversing about the World Barista Championship. Recently, we launched “the trilogy” from Finca Deborah – these coffees were used to claim 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at the World Barista Championship in May 2024. The roast for ‘Elipse’, is nearly identical to the profile we roasted for Mikael Jasin when he won the WBC – amazing for espresso or filter.

thanks to Alex Dante Smith for submitting this weeks real life coffee bar!

“My coffee bar is my pride and joy. It also signifies my growth and development in the coffee industry. It started way back with a Stagg kettle and a Breville Barista Pro when I was purely an enthusiast, and has evolved to be an almost commercial setup with the Slayer single and Anfim grinder as my career in coffee has developed. It has also been a testing ground for new Fellow products more recently, specifically for the new Aiden brewer. The whole setup makes me smile every day” – Alex Dante Smith

respond with a photo of your brew bar or get creative with an AI generated scene and we’ll feature and share in an upcoming week of BTD

Distance: a year ago neither of us were runners; this year, we’ve both clocked over 500km on our way to the 1000km goal.

Dave got a little wild last week and built a Strava group that has just shy of 20 members. Collectively we ran 371km last week. While Dave was putting the group together, Cole lapped him a couple times and closed the week with nearly 38km, while Dave was busy typing away and clocked just shy of 30km

“You don’t have to be extreme. Just consistent.”

Want to join us as we hit the road? Let’s connect on Strava! or, join our Whoop group – just respond to the email and let’s grind together!