Caffeine reduction

[MistySkiesAreGone]

I reluctantly need to reduce caffeine as I think it is affecting my sleep. I used to have it down to half a morning cup and now it is double bagged in the morning and a couple in the afternoon. In an ideal world I'd quit altogether but for now I will settle for getting back to just the morning cup. I did once go cold turkey and I know everyone says the headaches go in a few days, but I am really affected by them, I feel like they will never end and the whole world is falling apart and I can't do my day job, which is v pressured and cannot drop any balls there.

So my plan is just to monitor what I am having and when for a few days/week, cut down from there, and log it.

Anyone fancy joining me?

Sat - one mug at 10am

I've got horribly caffeine sensitive since turning 40 and have to be really careful. I get away with a big mug of tea on waking, then a coffee when I've walked the dogs and that's pretty much it. Otherwise I spend the whole day with palpitations and can't sleep. And I just can't do the decaff tea - I've tried so many and it's just bleurgh.

I used to drink about 8 cups of black coffee a day. I stopped cold turkey and had a few days of intense headaches and it lasted about 4 or 5 days for me. Going through it made me seriously determined to reduce my caffeine because it freaked me out how dependent my body obviously was on it. The difference in my sleep was the total game changer, I sleep easier and deeper now and even being tired with a new baby I'm still happy with my decaf. Everything feels more regulated so I'd say def worth persevering with!

I completely relate ...I used to drink about 4 cups a day. I have gradually cut it down to two - my gp said cutting down might help with iron absorption
So now its one nice cup in the morning ( i have a medium cappuccino )
And then I have one after lunch/ mid afternoon as a pick me up
Thats it
It has been great! I enjoy them so much more -
I love my cafetière.... thinking about getting a mini professional coffee maker 😋

Ah such a relatable issue!

@Bluebells1970 Defo been more sensitive after turning 40 too. I don't tolerate it well when I am due on.

@Ilovetea42 Wow 8 cups! I once quit sugar and caffeine together and I almost died (light hearted) and vowed never to get so addicted again. I've recently beaten the sugar addiction with a Mediterranean diet so am feeling a bit stronger to tackle the caffeine which has crept in. I also have an exercise routine of sorts so I am hoping this will help.

Ahh the sleep is what I am hoping for. The only time I feel like I actually slept is when I take liquid melatonin, and even that is sporadic in its effects. If I get into ketosis then I can sleep well, but that is quite hard to maintain and not a strategy really. Anyway I know I need to quit the caffeine first then see what the sleep quality is like.

@powerpufff interesting about iron, is that just black tea or is it true of caffeine i.e. green tea? I am on green now but I'm tempted to give it all up, as it will have been over a decade of tea, and see. Part of me thinks that morning tea can be prised out of my cold dead hands, I do enjoy it ! However I could limit it to special occasions lol, or a Saturday morning type thing, with a nice Japanese loose leaf green tea 🍵

I had to really reduce my coffee intake as well.

I'm now down to 3 mugs of (filter) coffee before 1pm. if I crave coffie (or meet with friends) I have decaf.

Yorkshire decaf tastes just like the non-decaf.

Davinia Taylor on instagram recommends taking Theanine capsules with coffee which balance you out. They totally work. It’s a substance that’s naturally in green tea. Why don’t you just cut out the afternoon ones and have two in the morning - would that work?

I went cold turkey (10 mugs of tea a day), and had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever.

One morning cup, then it's decaff all the way, but I add vanilla or caramel syrup (skinny version) to the decaff. It's nice. Well it works for me anyway. Not a great tea drinker, but I'll have an occasional mug if I feel like it.

I made the transition to decaf coffee only about 5 years ago. I had 2 weeks of headaches and then I was ok. It was tough but not unmanageable but tbh the caffeine was making me sicker than that.

I almost immediately started sleeping better.

I have to say I am now (severely) into perimenopause and I don't think I'd cope with any big change like that now so I do sympathise. I think gradual reduction is a good idea maybe start with no caffeine after a certain time.

A few weeks ago I mistakenly had a large caffeinated coffee from costa and I was repeatedly sick all day. Can't imagine going back!

Interesting @DustyLee123 I have a aversion to Yorkshire tea...it is absolutely the best tea known to man (in England) but where I used to work we used to buy it in bulk from cash and carry and I was up to about 8 cups of tea...that was the one I detoxed from and it was bad!

@Bilingualspingual yes I think L theanine is also in lemon balm which is a very calming tea for the mind.

@Borborygmus I'm very envious, well done!

Ahh @imnotthatkindofmum thanks for the understanding, I am defo getting perimenopause symptoms hence wanting to make some changes. Interesting the effect one cup had on you.

I'm inspired by the sleeping better stories. So much so that I have not had cup two today!

I had a call from my GP earlier as I had called about what they could give to help with sleep. Some nights it is 4 hours and I can't function. Actually she ended up telling me about how she uses camomile tea, B6 and magnesium. I decided to try those and not sleeping tablets. I did used to do camomile tea and forgot about this, it does help. B6 is not one I have tried. Ordered some magnesium bisglycinate (sp?) to try. She alsp mentioned binaural beats which I use sometimes for work. I sometimes listen to Nothing Much Happens which helps. There was a CBT program called Sleep Station that they used to prescribe but it is not free anymore. Tbh I think actually putting myself in bed at the right time is half the battle, will keep going though.

Sunday - 1 cup at 9am.

I have a raging headache but I had the Covid booster yesterday!
Took magneisum at bedtime. Slept well last night, good quality.

I dance to and fro with this. Atm though I'm able to keep caffeine to before 9am, that gives it plenty of time to work out by 10pm. It is tough in the afternoon slump but so be it.

Meant to say good luck!

@MistySkiesAreGone I wonder would melatonin help your sleep? Although the magnesium seems to work well for you. I also find magnesium great, but take it in a multivitamin fizzy tablet like Berocca but the Aldi version 😉and if I wake up in the middle of the night it sends me right off again!

So day two done. Not feeling sleepy though!

Asleep about 1am and wide awake now, so 5 hrs. That is after 8 last night and 8 the night before, so 7 average.

Gonna try the camomile trick tonight. On a roll with the 1 cup though!

@CordyLines Melatonin only works sometimes. It rarely makes me feel sleepy but quality is better.

I also addicted to caffeine, More than 4 to 6 cups of coffee in a day. But later wards I take less amount due to stomach related issues in my life. Right now, I skip to take caffeine. I m not facing any stomach issues and sleeping related issues in the nighttime.

I used to drink pots of coffee every day. Tapered down over a period of a couple of months and have now been happily caffeine free for 18 months. The decaf sub on reddit helped a lot. First three months were tough (but very few headaches) but then in month four I started feeling amazing. Stick with it!

Tapering is the way to do it if you don't want the headaches.

Can anyone recommend a nice decaf instant coffee? I usually drink Azera coffee. They do a decaf but I haven't tried it yet. I do like Roobios tea (Tick Tock) so might get some of that.

My blood pressure is a bit high and I am low in iron so might need to cut down a bit.

Soo had major work anxiety yest. I fell asleep about 7 and woke at 11pm then was awake all night. So 4 hours. Feeling mildly insane. However I dealt with the work anxiety.

So the caffeine reduction seems to be going okay. Hard to tell really. The sleep part however!

@beastlyslumber how do you taper off tea? I understand the science of coffee...reduce the spoonful. But not the science of a tea bag. As one tea bag will release the same caffeine regardless of water level. So do you brew it then tip some water out?

Sorry if this is an obvious question!