It can. Not for everyone, and not all the time - but often enough that it’s worth understanding.

We’re not here to fear-monger. Coffee is one of life’s great rituals - flavour, conversation, culture. Nolo is coffee, after all. But caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant, and like all stimulants it comes with trade-offs. 

So what’s happening inside the body?

The Neuroscience of Caffeine and Anxiety

Caffeine blocks a neurotransmitter called adenosine, your brain’s natural slow-down signal. As adenosine builds up through the day, you feel calmer and more ready for rest. Block it, and the brain shifts up a gear.

That shift increases activity across the central nervous system. Dopamine rises, which can feel motivating. But so do adrenaline and cortisol. Heart rate increases. Alertness sharpens. The body prepares.

Physiologically, “energised” and “anxious” aren’t very far apart. A racing heart and heightened vigilance can register as productivity - or as threat. In some people, caffeine increases reactivity in the amygdala, the brain’s threat detection centre, subtly amplifying worry or social sensitivity.

Clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith explains that anxiety isn’t a personality flaw, it’s a threat response in the body. When you understand that, it becomes easier to see why a stimulant that increases adrenaline can sometimes tip the balance.

This isn’t fringe. Caffeine-induced anxiety is recognised in psychiatric literature, and research consistently shows that doses above roughly 200mg - around two strong coffees - increase self-reported anxiety in many adults, particularly those who already sit on an anxious baseline.

Caffeine doesn’t create anxiety from nowhere. It magnifies what’s already there.

How Caffeine Affects Sleep and Stress

Caffeine’s half-life is about five to seven hours - longer for some people. That mid-afternoon coffee can still be active at bedtime, even if you fall asleep without difficulty.

More subtly, caffeine can reduce deep sleep, the stage most associated with physical restoration and nervous system regulation. Less deep sleep often means a slightly more reactive stress response the next day. A more reactive day often leads to more caffeine.

It’s not dramatic. But it is cumulative.

With high screen time, always-on notifications and rising anxiety among young adults in the UK - where roughly one in six adults report anxiety symptoms in a given week - it’s unsurprising people are reconsidering how much stimulation they really need.

Why Some People Feel It More Than Others

Not everyone metabolises caffeine the same way. Variations in the CYP1A2 gene influence how quickly caffeine is cleared from the body. Fast metabolisers process it relatively efficiently. Slow metabolisers experience stronger, longer-lasting effects, often including jitteriness or disrupted sleep.

If caffeine leaves you wired or slightly on edge while someone else seems unaffected, that difference is likely biological rather than psychological.

Coffee Isn’t the Villain

Coffee itself isn’t the problem. It contains antioxidants. It’s culturally rich. For many people, it’s a genuine pleasure.  The more interesting question is why stimulation became coffee’s default objective.

For years, coffee has been framed as fuel - something to sharpen your edge and stretch the day. But if you’re already juggling deadlines, notifications and low-grade stress, more adrenaline isn’t always an upgrade.

Gen-Z, in particular, seems willing to question that equation. Drinking less alcohol. Tracking sleep. Talking openly about anxiety. Caffeine naturally becomes part of that wider conversation.

The Nolo Point of View

We believe coffee should be an enjoyment, not something to be wary of.

You can love the taste, the ritual and the social moment without asking your nervous system to run hotter than it needs. Decaf, when it’s made well, isn’t a downgrade. It’s simply coffee without escalation.

That’s why we focus on flavour first - smooth, complex, satisfying - and gently remove the stimulation spike. We add prebiotic fibre because the gut-brain connection is real, and feeling good isn’t just about what’s happening in your head.

Coffee can still be one of the best parts of your day.  It just doesn’t have to come with a raised pulse. Give our decaf cold brews a try.  

The Nolo Team