My coffee habit showed me I was skipping real rest

I always thought coffee was just a pick-me-up. But I drank it from morning till night. One day, I noticed I hadn't eaten anything because I was so buzzed. It hit me that I was using caffeine to avoid dealing with tiredness. Now I'm learning to listen to my body instead.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_linda1mo ago

Oh man, that's the realest thing I've read all week. @anderson.paul getting hit by the sleep debt truck is such a perfect way to put it lol. We're all out here treating coffee like a magic potion that replaces basic human needs. I've definitely been there, running on fumes and french roast, wondering why I feel like garbage. The crash is brutal, but at least it forces you to actually deal with the problem.

charlieb271mo ago

I read a sleep study once that said caffeine can hide your sleep debt for about two weeks. After that, your body crashes hard no matter how much you drink. Sounds like you hit that wall and figured out what was really going on.

the_pat1mo ago

Man, @charlieb27 that study sounds about right. I just started taking power naps instead, and it's a total game changer.

anderson.paul1mo ago

Honestly, that part about caffeine hiding sleep debt for two weeks hits home. @charlieb27, I went through the same thing last month during a big project. I was drinking coffee all day to keep up, but after a while, it just stopped working. One morning I woke up and felt like I got hit by a truck, no matter how much I drank. It took me days of real sleep to feel normal again. You really do crash hard when the debt catches up.