Scientists have named the ideal time for the first cup of coffee

Strong black coffee that wakes you up after a bad night's sleep can disrupt your blood sugar control, according to a new study.

In a study The Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism of the University of Bath (Great Britain) studied the effect of disturbed sleep and morning coffee on a number of different metabolic markers.

In an article in the British Journal of Nutrition, scientists show that while one night of poor sleep has limited effects on our metabolism, drinking coffee as a way to wake you up from sleep can have a negative effect on blood glucose (sugar) control.

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Given the importance of keeping blood sugar levels in a safe range to reduce the risk of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, they say the findings could have “far-reaching” health implications, especially given coffee's global popularity.

So when is the best time to drink coffee?

So this new study shows that a common remedy – drinking coffee after a bad night's sleep – can solve the problem of sleepiness, but it can create another by limiting your body's ability to tolerate the sugar in your breakfast.

We can improve our sugar control by eating first and then drinking coffee if we still feel the need. This could have important health implications.

Professor James Betts, co-director of the Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism at the University of Bath, who led the work, explains:

“We know that almost half of us wake up in the morning and drink coffee before doing anything. – it is intuitively clear that the more tired we are, the stronger the coffee. This research is important and has far-reaching health implications because until now we have had limited knowledge of what it does to our bodies, particularly our metabolism and blood sugar levels.”