Sleep and Decaffeinated Coffee and Tea

[trice54]

I used to consume several cups of caffeinated coffee each day along with a few cans of Diet Coke. My dr. told me to cut out the caffeine so I slowly switched to decaf. I would replace one scoop of reg. with one of decaf when I made the coffee and then after a few days replaced another scoop, etc. Now I usually have about 80% decaf coffee in the mix..two or 3 cups in the morning. I had a harder time switching to the decaf diet coke, but fianally adjusted. I think it prob has a tad of caffeine in it, but.... and I am trying to drink more water instead of the soda. A little wine now and then, too I can;t say I see a big difference in my sleep based on the amt of caffeine I do or don;t consume, but I figure it cant hurt to avoid it. Trice

[marshaeb]

I could probably count on one hand (and have fingers left over) the number of times when night-time caffeine has bothered my sleeping. I can usually drink coffee right up to the time I go to bed (and usually do).

Same here, for as far back as I can remember. Any chance you have ADD or ADHD, Den -- that you know of?

ADD/ADHD meds and caffeine, all of which are stimulants, work in an opposite manner on the brains of people with and without one of those conditions. While they make non-ADD/ADHD people go zippidy doo-dah, they help those with ADD/ADHD to reduce their hyperactivity (mental hyperactivity in ADD people; mental AND physical hyperactivity in ADHD people) and improve their ability to focus, work and learn. In fact, the acid test (no pun intended) for diagnosing ADD and ADHD is to give the patient a small dose of the medication and see if it revs up their systems. Revved? No ADD/ADHD. Not revved, slight increase in ability to focus? Yup, you've got it.

I have a friend with super duper ADHD (poster child, photo in the dictionary), and we both take the same medication. He LOVES to remind me that he only takes half the dose that I do. It doesn't bother me, because he drinks Mountain Dew from morning till night. And I tell him all of his internal organs are green, and his teeth are next....if they survive the sugar overload, that is. (We have a strange but wonderful relationship. He's strange and....)

I've never looked into it, but I have a theory that a lot of people with undiagnosed ADD/ADHD unknowingly self-medicate (in this case, not a bad thing) with some form of caffeine. If that's true, it's actually very cool, in my way of thinking. That means without conscious knowledge of the situation or what is needed to control it, the body finds the answer.

(Disclaimer for anyone reading this....I have no medical training; this is only my hypothesis.)

Marsha, as she enjoys her Lipton Diet Green Tea at 11:45 p.m.

[Snoredog]

Not me, I haven't needed to sleep in 3 days and I'm not giving up my 10 cups/day of San Francisco French Roast or my Bigelow "Certified" Organic Green decaffeinated tea.

When I make Ice Tea, I make 2 gallons at a time, I take 8 bags of Red Rose tea bags, staple them together in groups of 4 ea, toss them into 2 qt pan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat, let it set a few minutes, take a strainer spoon remove the tea bags, toss in 5 scoops of C&H sugar, stir. Take 2 Rubbermaid gallon pitchers pour half the concentrated tea into each container, fill remainder with RO water and still both in the fridge. I can go a couple weeks on that. I like sugar in my Iced Tea.

Now you know why I take melatonin at night

[marshaeb]

Not me, I haven't needed to sleep in 3 days and I'm not giving up my 10 cups/day of San Francisco French Roast or my Bigelow "Certified" Organic Green decaffeinated tea.

When I make Ice Tea, I make 2 gallons at a time, I take 8 bags of Red Rose tea bags, staple them together in groups of 4 ea, toss them into 2 qt pan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat, let it set a few minutes, take a strainer spoon remove the tea bags, toss in 5 scoops of C&H sugar, stir. Take 2 Rubbermaid gallon pitchers pour half the concentrated tea into each container, fill remainder with RO water and still both in the fridge. I can go a couple weeks on that. I like sugar in my Iced Tea.

That's MY recipe, except I don't bother with that OCD stapling thing. Do you ever go to the WILD side and staple a bunch of 3 and a bunch of 5? 1 and 7? If you're feeling adventurous (Snoredog? What are the odds?), use Tang some time (don't ask how much, because I don't have any idea. Don't put in any sugar, dump in a cup or so of the Tang, taste it, etc., until you like the balance of tea and Tang. Add sugar if needed. Or you can do the same deal with one of those dry lemonade mixes.)


Marsha

[roster]

....... I had a harder time switching to the decaf diet coke, but fianally adjusted. .......

Trice,

Try decaf diet Pepsi and let me know if it tastes much better to you like it does for me.

[jsmythe]

When I went to the cardiologist a couple of weeks ago for some heart tests, he told me "Absolutely no coffee or tea or anything with caffeine in it. I asked about De-caf, he callled it "Less-caf because it does have caffeine in it. Told me NONE of it.

[sharon1965]

rooster
what about diet root beer? no caffeine there

[roster]

rooster
what about diet root beer? no caffeine there

Generally this is correct but you have to be careful. Barq's and Rat Bastard are examples of root beers that have caffeine according to internet sources.

I drink Diet 7-Up, diet ginger ale and occasionally diet Tropicana orange soda. The orange must be Tropicana because as mentioned above, Sunkist adds caffeine to their orange soda.

Diet 7-Up is excellent for my palate. I like A&W diet root beer also.

[marshaeb]

Barq's and Rat Bastard are examples of root beers that have caffeine according to internet sources.

Rat Bastard? There's really a drink called Rat Bastard, and people really buy it??
I can't imagine what the ads for it must be like.

Marsha

[packitin]

I'm never going to get any of that. My close friends call me "packrat".

[roster]

........Rat Bastard? There's really a drink called Rat Bastard, and people really buy it??
...............

Marsha

Yes and on the label they tell you what it tastes like.



In order to be allowed in the house with it, I would have to take Mason jars to the grocery store and leave the empty bottles in the grocer's glass recycling bin.

[marshaeb]

Okay, THAT brought on that gut-busting full-body laugh I was talking about yesterday. And now my coworkers are certain I've gone right round the bend. Thanks so much....a great way to start out the day. I hope you have a good one, Rooster.


Marsha

[marshaeb]

Rat Bastard Root Beer

by Skeleteens, a division of Real Soda, Gardena, CA, 12 oz Longneck Bottle. It aint no Birch.

Contains: Carbonated Water, Fructose, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Molasses, Caramel Color, Caffeine, Jasmine, Dong Quai, Ginseng, Mad Dogweed, Skull Cap, Ginko Biloba, Gotu Kola, Golden Seal, Echinacea, African Capsicum, Reishi, Shitaki and Cordyceps.Calories:yes

I especially like the government-compliant calorie statement.

Marsha