Will decaffeinated coffee keep me awake?

We often get this question: “will decaffeinated coffee keep me awake?”

The simple answer is no, decaf coffee will not keep you awake.

The more complex answer is as follows:

Caffeine levels in decaffeinated coffee are incredibly low, but it does depend on the process...

Swiss Water Decaf Process coffee, which Decadent Decaf uses exclusively, is certified 99.95 caffeine free, whereas other processes such as Methylene Chloride process decaffeinated coffee can be 97% caffeine free.

Nevertheless, the caffeine levels either way are negligible and, in the case of Swiss Water Decaf, frankly and undetectable, so decaffeinated coffee will not keep you awake due to such low caffeine levels.

In some individuals, there is a psychosomatic effect of drinking coffee even if it’s decaf...

In people who say that decaffeinated coffee keeps them awake, it’s far more likely that it’s a psychosomatic effect rather than any extreme caffeine sensitivity.

For those people, it’s probably more important to look at your sleeping routine and behaviour before bed, such as:

• Not using tablets/mobiles in bed
• Not having televisions in the bedroom
• Creating a bedroom routine, such as reading in bed
• Having lower level lighting before bed

If you are having more severe problems, then it might be a good idea to see a sleep therapist or cognitive behaviour therapy.

Either way, it would be best not to blame poor old decaf coffee for your sleeping problems!