DeathBox

I'm a week into recovering from a 3-day alcohol binge, and I seem to be sleeping 3 hours for every 48 that pass.

To resolve the insomnia, I'm contemplating giving up caffeine for a while, but not looking forward to the headaches that will most likely ensue. I've been hooked on strong coffee since the age of 11, so I'm a hardwired junkie.

Did anybody else have any luck with giving up caffeine in the midst of withdrawal?

Astro

One thing I did try was drinking something milder, like green tea. Made a big difference along with the medications I was taking. After 11 years sober I'm a coffee junkie again and my sleep patterns are pretty normal.

sixtyfour

I always thought I was a caffeine addict for life, at one time drinking 4 cups of strong coffee a day, but lately I've been growing out of it. Like Astro, I've been drinking more green tea (which still has caffeine in it) and 1 cup of coffee instead of my usual 2-3 cups. I think the tea really helps with the withdrawal symtoms and besides it doesn't have the same "crashing" effect as coffee. Also, removing sugar from my coffee helped in that regard. I think the biggest thing is not drinking it too late in the afternoon.

Mountainmanbob

Too much coffee (as much as I love it) can play havoc on my mind and body at times. Makes my aches and pains worse and messes with my sleep.

Taking time off does the body good.

I consider coffee to be a mild drug.
At the very least.

M-Bob

Bethany57

Why not try half and half - half decaf and have regular. When I gave up caffeine I go very depressed. My day felt so flat.

biminiblue

I switched to half-caf in early recovery, and only one in the morning. I was just too jittery in general when I had any caffeine. My sleep was all over the place regardless of how much caffeine I had, though.

At about eight months sobriety I went back to full-caf and I now drink 2-3 espressos a day; which they say has less caffeine than regular drip coffee. I dunno. I don't get any residual effects from it if I don't put sugar in it. I can have one at 5PM and still go to sleep at 8PM.

svraka

I'm also a regular coffee drinker, if i am not drinking for that particular day that i need to do my job, i will lose focus and feel lazy to do anything. But i already knew my limit. My limit is only 2 tablespoon of coffee, if i go more than that, i cannot sleep for that day, having insomnia, headache and need more days to reconfigure normal biology time to sleep

CelticZebra

The difference things like caffeine and sugar make on the body is truly ashtonishing.
I have been drinking decaf for 3 days now and it's really helping my sleep.
I've just read a post elsewhere that said drinking only water for the first 6+ months of the quit can really help the body to adjust better to losing toxins.
I know people who quit caffeine and feel better regardless of other addictions.
I've cut my normal usage to 4 cups before midday or I don't feel tired at bedtime but I'm considering only getting decaf in future.
PAWS can be a big problem eased, I believe, by limiting use of all substances that affect the brain and body and detoxing.