Primal Blog

Why You Should Hydrate Before You Caffeinate

Have you ever heard of the phrase “hydrate before you caffeinate”? This means to drink a glass of water before you have your coffee or any other type of caffeine. Here are some reasons why this is a healthy habit to start doing right now.

You Wake Up Dehydrated

The first and main reason it is a good idea to drink water before anything else is because you often wake up dehydrated. Think about it – you have been sleeping probably 6-8 hours on average, and might have been laying in bed even longer than that. This is a long time to go without any type of water or fluids. When you wake up, one of the reasons you have low energy isn’t because you need a boost of caffeine, but because you are dehydrated. The fastest way to hydrate first thing in the morning isn’t with coffee, but plain old water.

It Can Reduce How Much Coffee You Drink

When you drink a full glass of water before your coffee, it can actually reduce how much coffee you end up drinking. This happens for a few different reasons. For one, as we mentioned, you might have just been thirsty. You might be drinking 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning to get help with your dehydration and quench your thirst. The caffeine is only going to make you more dehydrated, even though it does have a high water content. Drinking water first may reduce how much coffee or energy drinks you end up drinking.

Another reason is because the water can fill you up, so you don’t feel like you have much more room than for one cup of coffee, and you already got some energy from the water.

Do You Even Need the Caffeine?

In many cases, people find that after a big glass of water, they don’t even want or need the caffeine in the morning. Especially if you have been drinking coffee or other forms of caffeine purely out of habit. Many people have noted that water first thing in the morning gives them a good amount of energy for waking up. Then, you can decide if you still need a bit more energy, and go ahead and have your caffeine.

This is a healthy practice to start no matter what. Whether it encourages you to drink more water, you get hydrated, or you reduce how much coffee you drink.