October 22, 2024
My sleep is up from last week, but still well below my usual 7.5-8 hours that I thrive on. I’m not surprised as I read before surgery that several guys mention it took them weeks before they could sleep comfortably.
Caffeine: This brings up a very common solution that most people use daily for this issue. Because frankly, I bet the majority of americans’ sleep looks like the above charts without a major surgery.
My philosophy though is counterintuitive, but I’ll explain: Only use caffeine when I’m well rested
I know people love their caffeine and/or the ritual, I’ll talk about that too, but I am going to broach what I’ve found to be an oddly touchy subject 🤔
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is the foundation for humans. If you haven’t read “Why We Sleep”, I highly recommend!
Here are a few of my favorite takeaways:
- Imagine something so critical evolutionarily that even thousands of years ago, living in much less secure environments, our senses would be turned off, and at some points we can’t even move (REM). This thing must be SUPER important if we evolved with that obvious weakness toward survival.
- Consistent full night’s rest is one of the top cures or prevention against just about any disease or ailment you can think of and it has zero side effects!… Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health disorders, weakened immune system, stroke, reproductive health issues.
- It improves emotional regulation – obviously improved cognitive function, physical performance and the many other benefits are great, but emotional regulation to me is the biggest game changer because it compounds to improving so many other aspects of your life. Ultimately it makes you happier!
Personal Experience with Emotional Regulation
You’ve probably primarily seen me in just a couple emotional states – calm, excited, or laughing/fun. I admire that about myself and hope that’s the picture you have 🙂
Very few instances of me being upset – I can think of the Final Four in 2014 when I had got into a yelling match with a guy who tried to steal Rob Dial’s seat. I can tell you the story when I see you. Most importantly, my Huskies were national champs, and I watched it live with close friends!
One thing that has come with age is awareness around my emotions. And if I notice that I’m irritable I now immediately think “Did I not sleep well last night? Maybe it’s nap time”.
The Problem with Using Caffeine When Tired
My philosophy is if I’m tired I need to sleep/nap. Caffeine is only going to mask the issue. If I mask it then It could lead to a number of the issues above. But you might say…
“Not just from one day of poor sleep and caffeine!”
However, often the tiredness is in the afternoon, and late caffeine will impact sleep, even if you don’t think it is, I promise the quality of sleep is not there.
So then that night people don’t sleep well, so what do they do the next day? More caffeine. And the cycle begins. And the majority of Americans have been in that cycle for years or decades. So just one day is almost never just that.
Hence, my steadfast commitment to stay away from caffeine when I’m tired. I think that there will be an enlightenment around the use of caffeine in our culture in the future. Just like many of my friends no longer drink alcohol, or they use it infrequently. I think the impacts of improper caffeine use on our long-term health and happiness will become more apparent.
The Caffeine Dosage Dilemma
Another issue with caffeine is the inconsistent delivery method. Can you imagine if your doctor prescribed you a medication and in the bottle were 100 identically looking pills all of completely different doses ranging from 60mg to 300mg. On the side it says “Take as needed”
Then you just pop one and hope it’s about what you need 😂 it’s absurd, but that’s what people do with caffeine. Here’s a video I found interesting where he goes around to NYC coffee shops with a chemistry kit to test how much caffeine is actually in their coffee. Summary – it varies wildly!
This leads to people constantly dosing themselves on the high side, then needing to keep upping the dosage to get the same effect. Have you experienced this?
It’s why some people drink 5+ cups of coffee per day!
It would make more sense to drink decaf coffee and pop a caffeine pill of the proper dosage rather than play roulette with drug intake.
My Personal Approach to Caffeine
Do I use caffeine?
Yes, I like the taste of coffee. And I’ll occasionally have some caffeine because I want to be a bit more productive or push myself harder in a workout. ONLY on days that I know I slept well and very early, ideally before 10am. Usually no more than once per week and I prefer the dosage of green tea. But when I’m getting a coffee I’ll ask for half-caff, and then I’ll take it really slow, often not finishing it because I’ll already feel the effects.
Alternative Morning Rituals
Ritual – MudWater, decaf coffee, or other alternatives exist so you can have a morning ritual without caffeine. Coffee isn’t inherently better as a ritual, it’s just what has been used for a long time. Here are two that other cultures use as an example (thanks chatGPT)
India – Golden Milk (Turmeric Milk)
- A traditional Indian morning drink is golden milk or haldi doodh, made from turmeric, warm milk (often dairy-free), and spices like cinnamon or black pepper. It’s known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, promoting health and vitality.
Himalayas – Butter Tea (Po Cha)
- In Tibet and other Himalayan regions, butter tea is a morning ritual. Made with tea leaves, yak butter, and salt, it’s a hearty and filling drink that’s energizing due to its caloric content but without caffeine.
Energy Management Beyond Caffeine
Energy levels – sleep is one factor. Eating right, fitness, and fun/friends all play a role in my great energy levels with no caffeine intake on most days. I have to keep my sleep on track so that I can compound my returns with the others. Hit me with your concerns, questions, etc. I’m sure I’ve thought through them.
To summarize, I’ve been sleeping like crap and therefore have felt similarly 💩
I’ve had a lot of other thoughts over the past week, but that was a long enough diatribe so I’ll leave it to one more thing.