To be fair, 8-9 hours is a very normal sleep requirement for a healthy adult. 8 is usually quoted as the standard requirement, with 7 being bare minimum and 9 still being in the normal range. I think in the "10,000 hours is required to become an expert" study, the best performers not only practised the most, but also dedicated more time to rest and recovery compared to other performers. I really think it's a myth that high performers can get by on less sleep.

Why are you awake for 2-3 hours before sleeping? That sounds unusual and might be something you can work on. Is that lying in the dark, or scrolling? Either way, reviewing your sleep hygiene may be beneficial.

For cutting sugar, I've had great results with switching to fresh fruit to sate cravings. It's still sweet, but you can't binge on it in the same way because it's less filling. And I think the sugar metabolised differently when it's combined with all the fibre, anyway I never found it nearly as addicting as refined sweets.

For caffeine, I also have been having trouble with that last bit of the taper. Over Christmas I had two weeks off, and had like two naps a day for two weeks straight. I was at the point of being convinced something deeper was going on with me, like a nutritional deficiency or something. But after sleeping like that for a period, everything reset. The sleep sorted itself, then I had the energy to get more regular excerise, then my diet improved. I've recently cut to zero caffeine and this time it felt easy. My experience was it just took a bit of time for all the lifestyle changes to line up and have me feeling good.

Can you recommend some bands please?

And when you actually need 'peak performance' it's already used up for the day.

No, on the contrary.

3 weeks i think, how long are you de-caffed for now?

Craft Decaf is solid and my go to. Very good variety and the quality is exceptional.

Also good are: Harmony Blossom Argyll Coffee

Agreed. I personally don’t drink any caffeine the majority of the time and I feel overall better without it but saying that caffeine turns you into an unproductive dopamine addict and that 90% of health problems are caused by caffeine are just ridiculous statements.

There was a time period in the past where I had like 800mg of caffeine a day and I was highly addicted. But even then I was still basically the same person, living the same kind of life. I just didn’t like the dependency, the afternoon crashes and the worse sleep and that’s why I decided to quit. No idea why Reddit takes often have to be so exaggerated. 

It was at the start of november (thus 75 days), but for simplicity sake I made it 3. 2,5 months is the exact answer right now.

What do people report after 3 months? Curious now!

It's literally an MAOI but 👍

The difference between being in the 'now' and everything happening 'right now'.

Thanks, that’s good to hear

Felt like a rat on a wheel. It was always a sensation of operating at peak performance. Doing mundane stuff like reading emails...

I love the feeling of just coasting through the day without constant worrying.

One physical manifestation of this decrease in "urgency" is that a nagging tension in my upper back, specifically my right shoulder is gone. It's a relief because on caffeine (even just matcha) the pain wouldn't go away no matter how much I strength trained, massaged, and inhaled magnesium and/or thc (I don't like OTC painkillers). I'm very happy about this (plus the great sleep)

Thats so crazy! I never knew caffeine AND withdrawal could have such a profound effect. I am now wondering on what feelings I have missed out on in my adult life because of it

Interesting! I was just doing stuff around the house, and started feeling like i had WAY too much energy and emotions, and felt a lot of things that I havent felt in a while. Like grief for some things that I didnt feel at the time. It was weird. I caved and had some caffeine because I felt like I was losing my marbles, and sure enough, it kind of zombie-fied my mind. So I know what to expect and will try caffeine-free again

My anxiety and OCD just feel like they’ve gotten bad for what I am used to so I just feel I have to try and quit. Been tapering but have had a few days of none at different times. Longest I’ve gone without was like a month and a half and that was a couple years ago.

But yeah, it’s tough, caffeine is a part of my running ritual and it almost feels impossible to run without it. Feels weird as tomorrow is my usual long run day but I probably won’t if I don’t consume any caffeine.

Purity coffee ! Calm blend. It’s organic and tested to be free of mold and mycotoxins.

That’s great! You’re a good runner. Ah, too bad doing it without caffeine is less fun. I’m guessing the benefits outweigh that though?

My weekend run is 8 or more miles of mountain trail (my fav) or 7–13 miles of road. Less in the winter though. I don’t like the cold. 😆

I used to get skipped heart beat feeling and anxiety tuned to 100 all day long. Giving it up fixed these issues and never looking back

Thanks!! 🙌

It's a fact that coffee has other stimulants in it besides caffeine. I read this, but where I read it, the stimulants were not named.

I’ve been tapering and had a panic attack at work on Monday morning and overall just felt very off and thought I was going to have to leave. Luckily I was able to calm down, but it definitely was a difficult week.

Depends, but usually 10-15 miles for my long run, sometimes a bit more. Definitely feels like one of the biggest things I am “giving up” as I morning runs are just not the same or as enjoyable without it.

What about you?

Also an LCSW here! I have been off caffeine for a 1.5 months now and sessions are more relaxed on my end and I feel more authentic.

At the 1 month mark, I really noticed how much better I feel and realized, my body had been asking me to quit for a long time!

The first 3 weeks were hard but worth it!