For a lot of people, their morning cup (or four) of coffee is the only motivation to get out of bed.
It’s an energetic boost to start the day, it tastes great, and there’s something satisfying about that ritualistic first sip of hot coffee from your favorite mug to start the day.
It’s so good that you want another cup when you arrive to work. Oh, and that’s all before the usual afternoon run to Starbucks to ward off three-thirty-itis.
Even the coffee isn’t bad for you – in fact, there are many health benefits linked to drinking coffee – there is such a thing as drinking too much coffee. At the end of the day, caffeine is still a drug, and over-consuming can trigger adverse reactions in your body.
Kelli McGrane RD, from the calorie counting app Lose It!, highlights these three signs of excessive coffee consumption. If you’re experiencing them, consider this your wakeup call that maybe it’s time to cut back.
You’re not sleeping well.
Coffee is fantastic in helping you wake up in the morning or fending off fatigue in the afternoon, but “the timing and amount of caffeine consumed during the day can make it harder to fall asleep, plus reduce the total amount of shut eye you get at night,” says McGrane.
Research shows that having lots of caffeine even six hours before you go to sleep can disrupt your sleep quality.
You’re experiencing the “laxative effect.”
If you’re a regular coffee drinker, you’re probably well aware that coffee makes you poop. Caffeine is the culprit here, as your java activates your colon, increasing your need to ‘go’.
According to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, drinking just two or three cups of coffee a day is enough to cause diarrhea.
Related: What’s the Healthiest Type of Coffee?
You have the jitters.
The “coffee jitters”—AKA, a rush of energy, followed by a crash—are an actual thing, and a strong sign to cut back on the caffeine.
“Caffeine speeds up your central nervous system,” says McGrane. “As a result, drinking more than moderate amounts of coffee—about three cups in individuals not sensitive to caffeine—can cause you to feel shaky. You may even notice nausea or feel like your heart is racing.”
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