Caffeine Detox Challenge
In this article, I share my experience of quitting coffee for a month.
Why I Started the Caffeine Detox
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee every weekday.
One cup with AeroPress as part of my morning routine, and another cup in the afternoon at a cafe, usually with a double shot. After drinking 1-2 cups of coffee on weekdays like this, if I slept in on weekends or didn't drink it because I was lazy, I would have throbbing headaches that day.
In late October 2023, I felt headaches from caffeine withdrawal symptoms. I'm not Son Goku with a golden headband from Journey to the West, but I felt like I was depending too much on caffeine, so I started a month-long caffeine detox in November.
Why Headaches Occur
Headaches are a caffeine withdrawal symptom. According to famous neuroscientist Andrew Huberman's explanation, headaches occur when you quit caffeine because it affects blood flow. People adapted to caffeine have blood vessel dilation effects when they drink caffeine, while those who don't normally drink it have the opposite effect of blood vessel constriction. Due to this change in blood flow state, headaches are felt when not consuming caffeine.
First 2 Weeks
The first week was a difficult time with headaches. Whenever headaches came, I endured them by doing neck stretches.
And my morning routine disappeared, so I felt awkward after waking up. I used to wake up while making coffee, but trying to do something right away without that routine made it hard to concentrate. I didn't feel motivated to do anything, and the first week was the hardest.
This story is a bit embarrassing, but it was hard to go to the bathroom regularly. I don't know if caffeine doesn't suit me well, but drinking a cup in the morning would immediately stimulate my colon and I'd have good bowel movements. After the caffeine detox, the pattern became irregular...
However, these disadvantages were greatly improved starting from the second week.
Last 2 Weeks
Sleep quality improvement was very noticeable. I think I went to sleep almost at 10 PM and woke up briskly at 6 AM.
Stomach burning decreased significantly. When I drank coffee, I sometimes felt stomach burning and intestinal twisting, but thinking about it now while writing, I achieved river-like peace without intestinal troubles during the detox period.
Through the caffeine dependency reduction project that started on November 1st, I experienced interesting physical changes. I've briefly summarized the pros and cons I felt below.
Advantages
Improved Sleep Quality
- Actually, I thought I didn't have sleep disorders from caffeine because I could sleep as soon as I lay down. However, the Whoop wearable device I introduced earlier measures sleep quality, and during the caffeine detox period, it showed 100% sleep quality 4 times. I was amazed to see my sleep quality recover quickly even though I couldn't sleep well at dawn watching the T1 League of Legends World Cup finals.
Coffee Cost Savings
- Reduced costs for coffee beans and cafe coffee purchases for a month
Increased Water Intake
- Instead of a cup of coffee, I put about 700ml of water in a large cup and placed it on my desk to drink, increasing my water intake.
- Drinking lots of cold-brewed barley tea or cold water made my skin feel better too lol
Disadvantages
Difficulty Choosing Drinks When Visiting Cafes
- I often go to cafes but since I don't drink coffee, drink selection became limited. Tea also contains caffeine, so I ordered large sizes and quickly removed the tea bags before drinking.
- I even ordered milk one day, and although no one cared since it was on the menu, I felt a bit embarrassed alone.
Absence of Morning Routine
- The routine of starting the morning with a cup of coffee disappeared, making it hard to wake up.
Despite these disadvantages, the advantages were greater.
Conclusion
I'm currently drinking coffee again. At first, I could endure it because I drink coffee for its caffeine awakening effects, but by the end of the month, I started missing the aroma and taste of coffee... By directly experiencing a month of changes, I was able to feel many things as described above.
I slightly changed my morning routine. Dr. Andrew Huberman recommends drinking it 1-2 hours after waking up. This is because drinking it immediately upon waking causes concentration to decline after lunch time and brings afternoon crashes that make you tired. In other words, you end up looking for caffeine again in the afternoon. For this reason, I'm also trying to drink it 1-2 hours after waking up.