'Hotel vibes' coffee hack raises eyebrows as experts warn of sleep quality risks

Fox News

4 days ago

Some people wake up and smell the coffee immediately — thanks to a quick fix they claim gives "hotel vibes." Yet some experts say it's grounds for concern.
"Does anyone or would anyone put a small coffee maker in their bedroom like Nespresso hotel vibes?" one woman asked in a recent post in a Facebook group for coffee lovers.
She was apparently considering getting one of the single-serve espresso machines, sharing in the comments, "I'm so lazy and our kitchen is so cold."
Several members of the group were on board.
"Great idea now that I'm retired," one person commented.
"I will probably do this while I'm postpartum," one expectant mother wrote.
"Make a cup of coffee and curl up in bed?" another woman replied. "A thousand percent yes."
"I used to keep a small Keurig in my bedroom," added another, referring to the single-serve coffee maker.
"It was set up like a hotel room with a fridge and microwave as well."
Reddit users shared similar feelings in a channel on espresso machines.
One said having it in the bedroom gives "that 5-star hotel room feel."
"I make mine instantly once I get out of bed," another person said.
Another person confessed to brewing a shot of espresso before going to sleep.
In a post on the blog Apartment Therapy, the writer spilled the beans on finally giving into her dream of having an espresso machine in her bedroom.
She bought a miniature one that, at only 8 inches tall, wouldn't turn her "bedroom into a coffee house," she said.
"It's the epitome of a little luxury, particularly when I'm still in my pajamas and not yet immersed in the hustle of the day," she added.
The hack also saves her a few minutes each morning and forces her to sip her coffee on the balcony attached to her bedroom.
The drawbacks, she said, include needing to go to the kitchen to get milk or throw out the dirty pods.
But experts say the real harm can be to people's internal circadian clocks and sleep quality.
"Maintaining a consistent transition ritual, such as walking to the kitchen for coffee, supports healthy circadian entrainment and behavioral patterning," New York sleep scientist Daniel Gartenberg, Ph.D., founder of SleepSpace, told Fox News Digital.
He said he recommends drinking coffee one to two hours after waking up because of the impact it has on adenosine, a neuromodulator that helps regulate the urge to sleep, and cortisol, a hormone involved in wakefulness and stress.
Wendy Troxel, Ph.D., a Utah-based senior scientist at the RAND Corporation, said that while she understands the convenience and feeling of "luxury" behind having a coffee maker in the bedroom, it could also encourage more frequent caffeine consumption – which can negatively impact sleep quality.
"The bedroom is ideally a space reserved for rest," Troxel told Fox News Digital.
"Introducing stimulating activities like brewing or drinking coffee can blur the boundaries between sleep and wakefulness, leading to an increased risk of sleep disruptions," said Troxel, author of the book "Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep."
"Even just the lingering aroma of coffee could signal alertness."
She recommends investing in comfy sheets, plush bedding or even a hotel-brand mattress to replicate a luxury overnight experience.