Why I Gave up Caffeine for the Most Part
By Andy Heath
Let's talk about caffeine. Let's talk about one of the most destructive substances on the face of the earth, short of alcohol and other drugs. It seems so benign, so simple, so angelic as it sits in a piping hot cup of coffee with a little cream and sugar, America's favorite breakfast drink.
a tired we are during the day.
Now I will drink a cup of coffee in the morning, maybe even two. But no more than two, and never after 11 A.M. Why? Because it DOES affect my ability to sleep. And while caffeine is a stimulant, it ends up sapping our energy rather than giving us energy. I know, I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it is true. Try giving up caffeine after 11 A.M. for a few weeks and see the difference.
I discuss this with people from time to time, and almost inevitably they will tell me the same thing. "Oh, caffeine doesn't affect me! I can drink it right before bed and then go right to sleep!" I believe that. I really do. I think some people can drink caffeine at night and still be able to sleep. But let's keep it real – not all sleep is equal. I have woken up after sleeping all night before and felt like a train had run over me. And then there are times when I have slept for only a few hours and felt refreshed.
Let me put this another way. Caffeine is a stimulant. You cannot change this. You cannot do anything to make this less true a statement than it is. If you drink caffeine at night, it will affect you, and it stays in your system for about twelve hours. People who drink it before bed and can then go to sleep simply do not sleep as well as they would have if they did not take any caffeine. They might even wake up at some point during the night and have trouble going back to sleep. And even if they sleep through the night, they will wake up feeling less refreshed than if they had not had any caffeine. That is a simple fact backed by science. What can I say? Caffeine is a stimulant.
I gave up caffeine in the evenings largely because I was having trouble getting up in the mornings. I woke up feeling sluggish, like I hadn't slept at all. I was late to work. I would miss work a lot because I felt like I hadn't slept. I would have trouble sleeping at night. I would have trouble falling asleep and then I would wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. It was perilous to me, so I decided not to have any caffeine after 11 A.M.
I would recommend anyone who drinks a lot of caffeine to give it up as a trial for a few weeks and see the difference. I haven't even given it up entirely, but I have cut back a lot, and I have noticed a major difference. I am able to fall asleep quickly at night and get up early during the day. I even need less sleep to feel refreshed, and it just makes life so much better and so much easier.
