sci-fi author, beatmaker

My 11-day "30-day experiment" of Giving Up Coffee

Magic beans.

Earlier this month I decided to go without coffee for 30 days.  I’ve done a number of 30-day experiments over the last few years, including giving up booze, sugar, web-surfing, video games, and even artificial light.  30 days is a good amount of time to break old habits and establish new ones, or at least to reset your physiology and brain to a new set of stimuli.  Coffee was the only substance I hadn’t tried to give up.  In the interest of facing my fears, I decided to give up my favorite morning brew.

I also wanted to see if giving up coffee would alter my sleep cycle (sleeping deeper, and longer without waking), and/or affect my ability to concentrate and work on difficult tasks for long periods of time.  Lately I had been feeling that my mental wheels were spinning without the gears being fully engaged.

I did a one-day taper (only 1 cup in the morning, as opposed to my usual two cups in the morning and a cup in the afternoon), and then switched to only tea and dark chocolate.  At some point I may attempt a no-caffeine experiment, but that wasn’t the point of this experiment.

Physical withdrawal took about 5 days, with effects as follows:

Day 1: sleepy in the afternoon, went to sleep earlier than usual (around 10pm)

Day 2: drank three cups of tea in the morning, sleepy/slow feeling, took one aspirin in am to prevent headache (and didn’t experience any headaches), in bed by 10pm again

Day 3: two cups of tea in morning, sleepy/slow feeling lessened, mild headache even with one aspirin (back and sides of head), headache (and irritability) went away with 2nd aspirin, early bedtime again

Day 4: tea in am, no headache/no aspirin, felt achy and sore especially in legs

Days 5-11: one to two cups of tea, no physical withdrawal symptoms, felt alert and energetic (normal or slightly higher than normal energy levels), early bedtimes continued with a few exceptions

Sleep Effects

Except for going to bed earlier, the quality and pattern of my sleep remained the same.  I usually sleep deeply for 4-6 hours, have a period of “quiet wakefulness” for 20-60 minutes, and then fall back asleep for 1-3 hours more.  After learning about the “first sleep” and “second sleep” rest cycles of pre-industrial (and pre-artificial light) times, I no longer consider this kind of sleep pattern to be pathological (especially considering that I’m usually alert and energetic during the day).  Still, I was curious if dramatically reducing my caffeine consumption would make me revert to the “solid 8 hours” of sleep that I experienced until about age 30 (I’m 42 now).  It didn’t.  I did experience one night of sleep with no wakefulness during the experiment, after an active day at the beach (which happened to include a large, high carbohydrate lunch).  The longer sleep period could have been related to higher carbs, more outdoor light (I’m usually an indoor cat), more exercise (and thus more GH release), less caffeine, or a combination of factors.

In any case, giving up coffee had no major effect on the quantity or quality of my sleep.  Giving up caffeine altogether might have a different effect.

Quality of Consciousness Effects

I’ll bet this is pretty good.

I did notice that I felt calmer during the no coffee trial, with fewer random anxious thoughts (worrying about things that actually have a low probability of happening).  In general, I think coffee and/or moderate doses of caffeine makes me talk to myself in my head more; it increases mental chatter.  With less mental noise, I was able to concentrate on projects for longer periods of time.  I also felt more “mental fortitude” in terms of being able to take on difficult and annoying tasks without procrastinating or lapsing into despair/hopelessness/whining.  I felt less sensitive in general, with a more matter-of-fact “just figure out what needs to be done and do it” attitude.

Strangely, I felt less desire to blog during the no-coffee trial.  It could be that this entire blog is a side-effect of coffee.  Mental chatter apparently translates into blog posts, at least for me.

I used this “less buzz/more fortitude” state of mind to zoom-out and think about the direction of my life, and what big projects I want to take on in the next decade or two.  The less caffeine state of mind was more conducive to envisioning as opposed to strategizing or maneuvering.

Cravings

During the trial, I wanted coffee whenever I smelled it or saw it.  Otherwise I didn’t think about it much, even if I had a headache or was experiencing other withdrawal symptoms.

I especially wanted to drink coffee in the morning when Kia was drinking it.  I drank tea instead.  I used a decent brand of tea (PG Tips) and made sure to brew it correctly; it actually tasted pretty good.  But it didn’t compare to coffee.  Tea just didn’t get me excited to drink it in the same way.

The experiment came to an abrupt end during a shopping trip at Trader Joe’s.  I noticed the complimentary pot of coffee, poured myself a cup, added cream, and was about to drink it when I remembered.  The coffee, right under my nose, smelled delicious.  Fuck it, I said to myself, and drank it.  Experiment over.  That night I was up until 1am.  That was last night.  Drank some more this morning.  Today I feel great.

Health Effects of Coffee

Coffee contains dozens, if not hundreds, of bioactive and neuroactive compounds.  The overall effect of moderate coffee intake seems to be protective, with regular coffee drinkers experiencing fewer cases of Type-2 diabetes, prostate cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, and dementia.

On the other hand, overuse of caffeine is linked to nervousness and anxiety, irritability, headaches, insomnia, twitchy muscles, rapid heartbeat, and GERD.  Isolated caffeine in energy drinks seems to be more harmful than caffeine in coffee, presumably because it is not accompanied by healthful antioxidants found in the black brew.

In my own experience, it’s fairly easy to consume too much caffeine from coffee, but more difficult with tea.  Tea starts to taste bitter to me after more than a cup or two — maybe it’s the tannins.  I just don’t want to drink that much of it.

England vs. Italy

I’m interested in the subtle shift of consciousness I experienced while briefly switching from coffee to tea.  As a tea drinker I felt less anxious, more stoic, and more oriented towards long-term planning.  As a coffee drinker I feel more eager to express myself, have more ideas, but am more easily put off or discouraged by difficult or boring tasks.  More mental fortitude vs. more mental activity.

The effects of tea drinking seem to be consistent with traditional British values like having a “stiff upper lip,” being emotionally reserved, and methodically colonizing half the planet and turning them into tea-drinkers.  But does this apply to modern English youth as well?  The kind that get into pub brawls and like to loot shops?  When I googled “do chavs drink tea” I found this blog post, which I don’t totally understand but seems to link the decline of English social values to the decline of proper tea drinking (a strong cup of tea being replaced by alcoholic beverages, Snapple, instant coffee, and/or the aforementioned PG Tips, weakly brewed with too much milk).

The Italians, on the other hand, love their espresso.  Can I make the generalization that Italians are less emotionally reserved than English tea drinkers?  It would seem that way to me, at least in the south of Italy.  I feel more Italian as a coffee drinker — I have more to say (or at least write), my mind races, I get less done, I’m easily distracted, I’m prone to dramatic interpretations of events, and my emotions are more up and down.

Apologies to the English and Italians — my comments are tongue-in-cheek (if that isn’t already clear).  Making national/ethnic generalizations is a great way to get in trouble.  But I do find the links between diet, culture, and neurophysiology to be fascinating.  Why are we so different?  Tea vs. coffee?  Spicy vs. bland?  Infection with toxoplasma gondii vs. no infection?  These are interesting questions, though I would put them in the same category as politics and religion; think carefully before you bring them up at a dinner party.

What do Americans consume and how does it affect our national consciousness? Corn, corn, and corn (corn-fed beef, milk from corn-fed cows, corn-fed chickens, eggs from corn-fed chickens, corn oil, corn-syrup, corn chips, corn-on-the-cob, etc.).  That can’t be good.

Too long; didn’t read

I decided to give up coffee for 30 days.  After five days the physical symptoms of withdrawal were gone but I still wanted to drink coffee.  After eleven days I kind of accidentally drank some coffee and gave up the experiment.  Drinking tea instead of coffee made me calmer and more stoic.  Chavs don’t drink proper tea.

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27 Comments

  1. Boo

    I gave up caffeine (coffee) for 3 months once. In my job, I have to do occasional programming and debugging, and it felt like my brain was moving more slowly, and not as capable of keeping track of what was happening in the code. There were more periods of mental relaxation through the day.
    The experiment ended when I went on a business trip to North America and had to drive somewhere (normally I don’t drive, living in a city that doesn’t require it). Although I didn’t think the jetlag was so bad, I noticed I would occasionally drift off for a few seconds, which was dangerous, so I pulled into the nearest McD’s, and the coffee’s effect was magical. It enabled me to concentrate enough to drive, over the jetlag, for the next several hours.
    Back home, I limit myself to a small espresso in the morning. Damn, this stuff is addictive. And yes, I think it really helps me to focus on details.

  2. It’s like you read my mind…I am also on a 30 day experimental no-coffee kick. I hate headaches more than most people do, so that is concern 1, being dealt with by tea. I had the same reasons for my experiment as well.

    I am not only a coffee drinker, but also a roaster for myself and others; i’m deep in this thing. My sleep patterns, which are very similar to the ones you described, worried me.

    Your research for your blog posts is always really well done and the depth of information appreciated.

    Keep up the great work.

  3. Thanks Winslow and Boo. Yes, powerfully addictive on multiple channels.

  4. Looks like I got my first one-star rating. Bachmann fan?

  5. M Scot

    Interestingly, while reading this it seems your morning caffeine begins to really kick in right around the England vs Italy section.

  6. sjr

    Hi, just a point on the whole Britain coffee thing. Over the last few decades coffee has become increasingly important in England, but coffee has a real pedigree in England. It was in the 18th century seen as an alternative to the spirits (vodka, whiskey, etc) that were considered by the Church to be morally degrading. For a long time in England, whether people realize it or not, it has been the daytime meeting drink of choice. I have had many continental European friends express their surprise at the fact that the British genuinely meet up over coffee (implying that coffee is more like a morning kickstart, end of meal drink). Likewise I’ve had many people from other countries tell me how the British seem unable to meet up unless we drink something; tea, coffee, cocktails, beer, wine, etc.
    Just a few thoughts.

  7. sjr — I’ll keep my mind open re: British coffee, but I didn’t mind switching to tea last time I was in England. I don’t know if it’s the quality of the tea or the way it’s brewed, but the tea tastes better there.

  8. “When I googled “do chavs drink tea” I found this blog post, which I don’t totally understand but seems to link the decline of English social values to the decline of proper tea drinking (a strong cup of tea being replaced by alcoholic beverages, Snapple, instant coffee, and/or the aforementioned PG Tips, weakly brewed with too much milk).” Love the review, JD!

    Chavs know how to make a proper cup of tea: STRONGLY brewed with a lot of milk, please!

    I don’t think tea-drinking can be linked to the decline of values (though it’s been tried, possibly by cocoa importers). Alcohol is another story, as we know.

    And can English people meet and talk without drinking something? But what would you do with your hands! Perhaps we should encourage more people to take up knitting…

    http://classsystem.blogspot.com/2010/12/demon-drink.html

  9. I’ll have to read more of your blog Samantha — maybe it will help me understand some of the mysteries of the English class system. Thanks for your comment!

  10. Adelle

    Over the last few months I have wanted to give up Caffeine but somehow only last a day where the cravings are too great especially whilst working. This week I have quit coffee and drinking 1-2 cups of tea as an alternative. The headaches have been worse than what I’d imagine and the tiredness and low concentration is a killer. Any way I’ll get there eventually. I don’t normally respond to blogs but I found yours quite comical and had to laugh at the (fuck it) approach. Look forward to hearing more of your stories and experiments.

  11. Beth

    I have tried to give up coffee for the last ten years! I associate the time before I drank it with a more creative, in touch with myself, ‘visionary’ period which I long to get back to. Having said that, I have achieved a massive amount in the last ten years (maybe too much for sustained good health), so in the long and the short term, I believe coffee should be used as a recreational drug, not a daily habit.

  12. Reka

    When you are fasting, drinking coffee is not a good idea because antioxidants stop autophagy. I actually wanted to comment this on your excellent autophagy article but couldn’t so I posted it here.
    I’m doing a week off coffee right now, among other crazy stuff I try from time to time, it’s very interesting to read your experiments. Your blog is totally addictive .

  13. Reka

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2916709/

    and also here however it doesn’t name the studies he is referring at:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-questions-answers/#axzz2aMeWhH4t

    it is at the beginning of the comments section

    Again, awesome blog!

    • Thanks for posting those links Reka. The study was looking at supplemental antioxidants including NAC and vitamin E. Mark Sisson recommends coffee during fasting, but I did see the comment you were referring to. I’m not sure if coffee and tea would have high enough levels of antioxidants to shut down autophagy.

      Zooming out, the big picture seems to be that foods high in antioxidants (fruits, vegetables, herbs, coffee, etc.) are good for health, while concentrated supplemental antioxidants may not be. We need free radicals to fight disease; they play a role in autophagy, and so on. Also, when supplemental antioxidants are taken, in some cases the body produces lower levels of antioxidants (like glutathione) in response to stressors like exercise.

      http://www.pnas.org/content/106/21/8665.full?linkType=FULL&resid=106/21/8665&journalCode=pnas

      http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-for-runners/do-antioxidant-supplements-and-exercise-mix?page=single

      In the 2nd article, a 2-5mg dose of resveratrol from a glass of red wine is compared to a 250mg supplemental dose. The latter had a harmful effect, diminishing the benefits of exercise. But that doesn’t mean the small dose from red wine is harmful.

      So maybe less is more with antioxidants, and we should generally stick with food sources. I sometimes take a few hundred mg of vitamin C (mostly when allergies flare up — it seems to help), but I’m getting more and more conservative re: antioxidant supplementation.

  14. Reka

    Interesting stuff. I would be really glad if small amounts didn’t stop autophagy, as I’m going back to morning coffees starting with next week. I think I’m sometimes guilty of taking too much supplements, but I always take a few days off each week. Probably the best is not to worry too much about doing it the best way:D

  15. I had the same experience: often I’d be super blog-post-productive after drinking coffee late and being up all night. creative insomnia

  16. brenda

    I gave up on day 4, exactly EXACTLY achy legs, but i just couldn’t stand it as it was rather painful, i had a cup and no more pain no more discomfort i wasn’t as brave 🙁

  17. +1 for the achy legs and I’m 24.

  18. Eileen

    I read your 40-day alcohol post before this and was just happy to hear that other, non-alcoholic people have 1-2 drinks a day, ha. When I go to the doctor and they ask if I have more than 5 drinks a week, I’m always prepared to be hauled off to a rehab mid-visit. However, I have done a cleanse where I gave up both coffee and alcohol (and really all things bad) and I went through horrible withdrawal from SOMETHING the first few days–I was afraid it was the booze. After subsequent experiments with cutting back on coffee I discovered that must have been it…which confuses me. We have laws regulating alcohol and yet just 1-2 cups of coffee per day results in physical withdrawal symptoms? I realize that even 10 cups of coffee doesn’t usually result in someone driving into oncoming traffic, but just from a health standpoint I mean. I could quit drinking for a week right now and I wouldn’t feel a thing, but I had MAJOR, horrible headaches and nausea when I cut out coffee. And it’s not like I’m on 6 cups a day, it’s 2 max, except for a rare third. Scared the crap out of me. I went without it for a while after the cleanse but eventually started up again…I’d love to quit both coffee and booze for good because I do feel healthier without them, but I live in manhattan….even the pregnant women have to drink coffee and wine to get through the day here.

  19. Cool post. I also noticed no change in sleep when giving up caffeine, although most health authorities say otherwise. The main concerns about caffeine use for me (at least in the long-term) are caffeine messing with insulin levels and also increasing excretion of minerals like magnesium. Seems smart to minimize it anyway.
    In regards to stimulants I kind of get the feeling that they don’t really alter the baseline, they just make the highs higher and lows lower (which is sometimes beneficial).

  20. Heidi

    I’ve been off coffee for 6 weeks now. I still miss it every single day. My sleep has gotten worse since quitting & am ridiculously constipated.

    • Sounds bad, but I assume you must have a good reason for quitting. MSM and magnesium can both be helpful in terms of stimulating peristalsis.

  21. R

    Just stumbled on a couple of your 30 day blogs. Brilliant stuff.
    I have a sweet tooth, smoke, binge on whisky, and my veins carry coffee (not blood).
    Last time cut down coffee to I had a headache for a week and felt like I was moments from dying at one point. Just became zombified whist walking down the street, it was scary.
    What do you reckon? One thing at a time or give them all up…

  22. Anonymous

    I’m on day 8.one point….. The headache when I go to bed are killing me…. But I will soldier on… Good article

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