Sahur Without Coffee: Nutritionist Tips to Stay Focused and Not Dehydrated

Illustration of coffee (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - For many people, coffee is often considered as the "main weapon" to ward off drowsiness, especially when driving or working in the morning during Ramadan. However, health experts and community nutritionists, Dr. dr. Tan Shot Yen, M.Hum, reminded that relying on caffeine during sahur can actually backfire on the body.

The main effect to be aware of from coffee is its diuretic properties. Coffee triggers the body to urinate more often, which risks causing:

Losing Fluid Faster: The body throws out more water, even though there is no intake of fluid until the time of breaking the fast.

Risk of Dehydration: Lack of fluids during fasting can trigger fatigue, headaches, and dangerous concentration loss while driving.

According to Dr. Tan, drowsiness during fasting is usually not due to lack of caffeine, but purely due to lack of sleep. Changes in meal and worship schedules often cut down on the ideal rest time (6-7 hours for adults).

As an alternative to coffee, here are the steps to stay alert:

Prioritize Quality Sleep: Try to advance the time of night sleep or rearrange the schedule of rest after sahur.

Take advantage of Power Nap: A short nap of 15-20 minutes has been proven effective in restoring energy and brain freshness without feeling drowsy.

Hydrate: Make sure that the intake of plain water is well met between the time of breaking the fast until dawn to keep the brain function optimal.

In order to stay focused during fasting, dr. Tan recommends maintaining a consistent sleep pattern and limiting coffee consumption at iftar. "The safest thing is to rest. A short nap can make the body fresh again," he said.

With the right combination of adequate rest and hydration, the body will be much better prepared to face daily activities without having to rely on external stimulants.