What Are The Effects And Changes Of Quitting Caffeine For A Month? Here Is What To Know

That’s how I’ve operated in my adult life, up until a month ago, when I abruptly stopped drinking coffee.

Although I used to enjoy the caffeine buzz and heightened alertness that coffee gave me, I soon realized that my relationship with it was toxic and was causing me to feel jittery, irritable, low energy, and increasing anxiety. Although I won’t call it an addiction, I depended heavily on caffeine to get up each morning. I knew it was time for a change when I reached the point where I was consuming three or four cups per day and was no longer enjoying it because of the anxiety and energy crashes.

I then made the decision to cut back on caffeine by switching to herbal teas in place of my morning coffee. The work appeared insurmountable at first. The tea was tasteless, and I immediately felt the effects of caffeine deprivation. I had migraines, brain fog, bad sleep, irritation, low energy, and a lack of ambition on the first day. TMI warning: My morning bowel motions, which used to happen without fail, now require some effort. Days two through five saw the continuation of these symptoms. Thankfully, they started to fade after the first week but persisted until the end of week two.

Something extraordinary occurred after being in a post-caffeine coma for two weeks. My body started to get used to not having coffee. I stopped wanting that coffee high and was beginning to feel…different. Not like my old, coffee-swilling self, but rather a better representation of who I really am.

Continue reading to learn about the positive effects I experienced after giving up caffeine for 30 days, as well as reasons why you might want to think about doing the same.

Your Quality Of Sleep Would Improves

Do you recall being a teenager and having endless amounts of leisure to sleep wherever, anytime? Ah, yes, those were the days [insert wistful sigh]. I’ve always attributed my sleep issues to “growing older,” like the majority of people do. However, after giving up caffeine, my sleep significantly improved in just two weeks. I stopped having trouble falling asleep, didn’t have to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and consistently woke up feeling energised and refreshed—no more walking like a zombie to the kitchen to get my caffeine kick.

While caffeine can momentarily increase alertness during the day, it can seriously disrupt your sleep, leaving you groggy and agitated the following day. Therefore, if you regularly use coffee, you experience short bursts of alertness followed by energy dumps and long-lasting lethargy. For instance, studies show that consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine six hours before bed can significantly impair the quality of sleep by shortening the amount of time spent asleep by one hour. This sleep deprivation can have a disastrous effect on your health if it persists over time.

Your Teeth Begin To Lighten

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of my dentist criticizing me for drinking coffee. My teeth have never been very discolored, but they could use a little extra radiance. They would inquire about my coffee use at each six-month appointment to the dentist and make a remark about my discolored teeth. Well, I can’t wait to flash my stain-free grin in their faces at my upcoming dental checkup!

Giving up caffeine has additional advantages for your dental health besides helping to whiten your teeth and getting rid of coffee breath. Coffee has a high acidity, and studies have shown that acidic drinks can weaken tooth enamel and encourage tooth decay.

You Would Become Less Anxious And Irritable

For someone who has struggled with anxiety their whole life, it was amazing how much giving up caffeine calmed my nerves and reduced my anxiety. I discovered that I wasn’t as stressed out about my job or my family’s issues. I stopped getting upset over trivial things like spilling milk. Given that caffeine activates your “fight or flight” stress hormones, which can cause anxiety, jitteriness, heart palpitations, and panic attacks, my newfound calm makes sense.

Because of my decreased anxiety, I was able to parent my kids with more patience, which is a huge unmentioned benefit. Of course, any parent will tell you that patience is a skill that you have to work at honing your entire life, but after my withdrawal symptoms subsided and the nervous jitters subsided, I was significantly less irritable and, therefore, significantly more present (and less stressed) around my children—which is possibly the most life-changing effect of all.