I started drinking coffee when I was 15 years old and I lived in Brazil. My parents always drank it throughout the day, even espressos before bed, so when I asked for a regular cup of coffee to wake up and go to class they didn’t say anything to me.
From then on, I would drink one or two cups a day. Typically, my coffee to milk ratio was half and half. I quickly realized that I couldn’t have it past noon or I would have trouble sleeping. In college, I often broke that rule when I was I drank coffee at night so I could study until dawn.
Over the last year or so, I started noticing that I was more tired than usual when I woke up, which made me run for my caffeine fix. My kids slept through the night and I went to bed early, so there was no point in being so tired.
A friend had given me a larger mug for my birthday, so I drank twice as much as I was used to and still didn’t feel alert.I also started to notice that I was getting more nervous and anxious.
My husband gave up coffee when our twins were born, after reading Michael Pollan’s book Caffeine: How Caffeine Created The Modern World (Caffeine: How caffeine created the modern world). I had been pestering myself to quit for years. I decided to try it as a New Year’s resolution. I quit cold turkey a month ago and I wish I had done it sooner..
I was worried about withdrawal symptoms
Since I’ve been suffering from migraines for more or less the entire time I started drinking coffee, my biggest fear was getting caffeine-deprivation headaches. If I get a headache, I’m not functioning, and with 3 kids and a full-time job, I couldn’t take that risk.
I decided to stop taking it over the holidays. The idea was that if I had a headache, I could take it without it affecting anything else in my life. To my surprise, I only had two days of mild headaches.
I also anticipated that I would be more tired without my morning pick-me-up, but being on vacation it was Perfect timing because I was able to take a couple of naps the first week I didn’t have caffeine.. Overall, the side effects were not as bad as I imagined.
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I thought that returning to my regular schedule would pose a threat to my purpose, but also It has been easier to accomplish than I thoughtI bought a kettle so I could have hot water ready for infusions and keep warm in the winter, and I hid the coffee grinder and coffee maker in our basement. I keep them in case we ever have guests who want coffee.
My mental health improved
As the weeks went by, I noticed that I felt more rested. After eating, I no longer had that feeling of heaviness in my eyes, slowness and laziness. My energy levels were the same throughout the day.
Although I never used to drink coffee after noon, I also felt that I found it easier to fall asleep at nightI don’t usually have trouble sleeping, but now when my head hits the pillow I fall asleep almost instantly.
What’s most notable since I quit is that I don’t feel distressed. Caffeine can trigger anxiety in people who consume too much of it. Symptoms can include restlessness, trouble sleeping, and an increased heart rate, all of which I was experiencing.
Since I quit, I no longer have that constant state of panic after drinking coffee. It is by far the most notable positive effect.
I haven’t gone to bed late since I left, but I give myself a little leeway if, for example, I’m up all night with a sick child to allow myself to have coffee. Other than that, I don’t see myself going back to my morning cup again.
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Tags: Food, Health, Drink, Healthy Living