Caffeine can make you feel on top of the world, allowing you to perform at your peak. Yet, for many of us, it comes with a steep price.
As its effects start to wear off, usually in the afternoon, that on-top-of-the-world feeling can transform into a “do I still have a brain?” sentiment. Caffeine can also interfere with sleep, which leads to a vicious cycle of drink coffee, can’t sleep, drink even more coffee, repeat.
Finally, when some of us go too long between doses, we experience intense withdrawal symptoms. Think headache, lethargy, and the feeling as if your brain has been replaced by static electricity. These symptoms can start kicking in within 16 hours of your last dose, according to a 2010 study on 379 people.
(By the way: When caffeine addicts drink coffee, they may not experience a true energy boost, but rather a reduction of our withdrawal symptoms. This is why caffeine studies require coffee abstinence for a week or more).
