Did you get any benefits from quitting caffeine?

Options
Mellouk89
Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I decided 3 months to quit caffeine to reduce my stress, get better sleep and reduce my cortisol levels . It turns out three months later I don't sleep any better, i'm just as stressed out and my cortisol is still high. I'm wondering if it's all worth it. Did you try going caffeine free and what happened?
«13

Replies

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    Options
    Yes! But it took a year or more.
  • Unicorn_Bacon
    Unicorn_Bacon Posts: 491 Member
    Options
    I haven't touched diet pepsi in like a couple weeks.. and I'm still staying up late and sleeping terribly lol so its definitely of no help to me haha.

    We do kind of build up a tolerance to caffeine over time so the effects wouldnt impact us the same as they first did.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    Options
    I did not touch caffeine until I was in my early 30s I think. Maybe a cup of coffee in a restaurant about once a month but only because it smelled good and I never drank any other caffeinated beverages. I discovered my love of coffee on a holiday to Cuba. Came home with beans, became a morning coffee person.

    I am the opposite of what you are asking. I have a clear recollection of trying so hard to “be a morning person” in my 20s with 3 children waking me up. I would say I get less sleep some nights now in my late 30s but can wake up, drink a cup of coffee(and occasionally another late morn) and be a functioning human. So it is all good in my books.
  • Malomar3
    Malomar3 Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Mellouk -

    I switched to decaf back in 2014. Sometimes I drink green tea in the mornings, but am generally caffeine free. So much so, that if I eat dark chocolate late at night, I won't sleep well because the caffeine in the dark chocolate keeps me awake.

    Also, be careful that you aren't getting caffeine from sources other than coke or coffee. A lot of those water flavor drops are spiked with caffeine. I basically avoid anything with the word "energy" in the name. Also, there's a Clif Bar that contains caffeine.

    I think three months is still a little early to feel the full effects of not ingesting caffeine, but if you ever accidentally drink regular coffee, you really notice the difference: caffeine sweats and the jitters are so unappealing that for me, it's worth it to not ingest caffeine at all.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    Options
    KrissCanDoThis wrote: »
    I haven't touched diet pepsi in like a couple weeks.. and I'm still staying up late and sleeping terribly lol so its definitely of no help to me haha.

    We do kind of build up a tolerance to caffeine over time so the effects wouldnt impact us the same as they first did.

    I switched to caffeine free diet coke lol. It could be that I took caffeine for so long that I developped a tolerance. On occasion I will drink a regular diet coke and I don't even feel the effects of caffeine.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    Options
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Nope. If you're not getting sleep, it's likely DUE to the stress. Offset the stress by taking an hour a day working on you. It can be reading a book, doing yoga, going for a walk, working out, etc.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    It's most likely that, I spend too much time on the computer. I need to go out more.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Options
    Come to find out, some vehicles of caffeine have some positive side effects. Coffee is the most common caffeine delivery vehicle.

    You choose, you decide. If you're unsure, ask your doctor if caffeine is right for you.


    https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/2/398

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168827810001996
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    Options
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Come to find out, some vehicles of caffeine have some positive side effects. Coffee is the most common caffeine delivery vehicle.

    You choose, you decide. If you're unsure, ask your doctor if caffeine is right for you.


    https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/2/398

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168827810001996

    I will read these articles thanks. I also heard coffee is high in antioxydants and caffeine might have positive effects.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Options
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    I decided 3 months to quit caffeine to reduce my stress, get better sleep and reduce my cortisol levels . It turns out three months later I don't sleep any better, i'm just as stressed out and my cortisol is still high. I'm wondering if it's all worth it. Did you try going caffeine free and what happened?

    How do you know your cortisone levels are still high? Is there a test for that?
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    Options
    I mostly gave up caffeine around a year ago, because of ongoing insomnia issues and occasional heart palpitations that the dr said were fairly benign but just really freaked me out. I got no sleep benefits from quitting caffeine although the palpitations mostly stopped. Quitting has tremendously reduced my caffeine tolerance such that even the smallest amount of caffeine, like in a decaf coffee, can keep me wired for hours. All in all, I'm not thrilled with the results. I think my TDEE reduced somewhat when I went caffeine-free, 50 or so calories per day.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
    Options

    Some people do find it harder to sleep in they consume caffeine or if they consume it later in the day.

    I do find I sleep better in summer ( I always find it harder to sleep in hot weather) if I swap my after tea coffee for a herbal tea.

    Some people are hyper sensistive to caffeine, especially those with cardiac conditions and do better without it.

    I guess it depends on your individual reasons for wanting to quit - and your results with doing so - as to whether it is benificial for you.
  • Beverly2Hansen
    Beverly2Hansen Posts: 378 Member
    Options
    I quit for 5 months and there was no benefit for me personally and I enjoyed my day less so I switched to drinking bang energy drink.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    Options
    I was addicted to caffeine. It also made me feel rather tired the next day, not a good situation when you're addicted to something. I have to say that caffeine was extremely difficult to stop having, I must have craved it about 1,000 times in the 8 years since I've stopped, mostly at the start.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Options
    It's great not to be dependent on caffeine to wake up or get me through the day. I also sleep better.
  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    Options
    I don't really notice a difference between caffeine vs no caffeine, tbh, my sleep doesn't change at all. I drink a lot of coffee but I just enjoy the smell/taste of it, and it's sometimes a social thing

Categories