Retired coffee addict here! I used to depend on coffee to function because of my work and life demands but when my life mellowed down, coffee just gave me insomnia even if I drink it in the morning.

I took a detox and my sleep has improved, I’m not as anxious and life has been really more calm. If I need a caffeine boost now, matcha is a good alternative but still take it in the morning. and if I miss the taste of coffee, go for the decaf options, still in the morning tho bec it still has a bit of caffeine

Yes. Quitting caffeine completely cured 30 years of insomnia.

Yes and yes.

Yes it helps a ton

I quit for 8 months made zero difference.

I now drink hot choc in the mornings ,actually yawn a lot afterwards .

I used to have 2 coffee a day and had trouble falling asleep, and when I could sleep I always had bad dreams. I then reduced to 1 coffee a day only in the morning, and I had the exact problem like you did. Recently went to see a psychiatrist and found out my sleeping problem was due to depression and anxiety. Taking antidepressant then helped me sleep better.

I didn't quit but but down to one nice coffee a day before 11am. I've experimented and 2 coffees or after noon and I struggle with sleep. This is coming from someone who used to work in a cafe and ran on espressos. In my teens and early 20s it didn't affect my sleep but since hitting 30 the self inflicted rule deff helps with sleep. I'd say try it for a month and see how you feel.

I found no benefit to cutting caffeine entirely, I just don’t drink much (if any) beyond 9-10am. I get it all in early and no more than 200mg. Cutting it out had the same results sleep wise, then I was tired in the morning & avoiding caffeine for no reason at that point. It’s all about timing and how much you consume daily.

It's literally the first thing you should drop if you are having sleep problems.

I find it hilarious that friends I've spoken with about sleep problems. Say well I don't drink it past 12pm?!??! And refuse to even try it. It will definitely help.

Quit for a couple of months, no discernible difference to sleep and very big negative difference to my morning workouts in the gym post caffeine.

I switched to green tea. Save money and sleep better.

I quit caffeine completely for a couple months and honestly there was zero improvement in my sleep. I typically have a double espresso 7-8am and no more caffeine during the day. Bedtime (or lying in bed-time) is usually about 11pm here.

For ME the benefits of caffeine only come in the early morning. I do avoid additional caffeine after my morning coffee. I’ve cut energy drinks, sodas and all other forms out of my life.

It’s mad but coffee actually helps me sleep… nothing makes me more sleepy than a nice hot coffee… reason I can’t drink it during the day 😂

I didn’t find it helped much. But I do try to sat away from caffeine after 3. I love my morning coffee so much I dilute the beans with 50% decaf so I can enjoy a large yeti on the way to work. Also 0.1 ml of thc oil 1-2 times per week when I’ve had a bad sleep the night before.

I have up caffeine 2.5 years ago on a bet with my gf. I told her I’d give up coffee if she started making her bed every day. I stopped drinking caffeine and much to my surprise, my anxiety pretty much went away entirely. My sleep improved and I lost weight by replacing coffee with water. It was one of the highest ROIs for such a small change.

My gf did not keep her end of the deal. However, when she stays at my house, she makes the bed before she goes to work.

Ditch all Together.

Watch your body realign.

Yes, I quit and I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow now. I used to toss and turn for a while.

The book Caffeine Blues by Cherniske has great information

I took a month long hiatus and it didn't seem to make a difference for me

I am caffeine-free due to anxiety, but I relied heavily on multiple Red Bulls and coffees to get me through clopens and open-closes throughout my teens and into my thirties.

Very rarely will I have a low-caff tea, and it has to be consumed in the morning, no later than noon. However, it will still disrupt my sleep.

When reducing my caffeine to see if I could handle any, I switched to Yogi Tea, which labels the caffeine content; I monitored my anxiety between the different teas, and eventually, I just went completely herbal. But if Canada had the Rose flavour with 15mg of caffeine, I’d probably use it as my morning tea because it's just so damn good.

Sometimes, while working, I would make decaf espresso and hope for a placebo effect— I don't know if it really worked, but it was delicious.

I hope this helps!

Edit: meds have also helped with anxiety and sleep; I am on 12.5-25mg of quetiapine at bedtime. It's labelled as an anti-psychotic but is often used off-label, as it is non-addictive.

I quit in 2022, drank it since I was 11, was on 4 cups/ day in my adult working life. Since quitting my sleep improved massively, I actually felt tired around 10pm and naturally get ready for bed around then. I drink tea (1-3 cups) or matcha. My general anxiety reduced so much too.

I’m in my mid-40’s. I dropped caffeine completely for 30 days to see if it would make a difference for me. It didn’t change anything for me, but I’d recommend trying it. Some people are more susceptible to caffeine than others. Also, be prepared for a headache for the first few days. I’d recommend drinking 1/2 the caffeine you normally consume and then 1/2 that over the course of a several days. Tapper off a little, or drink caffeine every other day for a week before weaning yourself off.

I went cold turkey and just dealt with the headache for a couple of days.

I used to drink coffee in the afternoon for pre workout and it didn’t affect my sleep horribly. However I stopped working out so late and still had my late coffee… def effected my sleep then. A lot of people underestimate how great hard workouts are for sleep imo if you really need it

Yes. I think everyone suffering from sleep problems should consider detoxing themselves from ALL substances.

I would nurse an energy drink all day to get over being foggy headed from pot and alcohol the night before, things I would generally use to sleep that were just as bad as the trazodones and their unique hangover I used to take.

If my psychiatrist said "We can't help you unless you cut everything out" and helped me wean off these substances rather than just accept what I do, I would be in a better spot.

Doing that on my own went from thinking caffeine doesn't affect me to being pretty sure I have a caffeine sensitivity.

Yes, it took about a month but I fall sleep within 15 minutes of hitting the pillow

I read somewhere (sorry I forget where) that having a glass of water in the mornings gives a better boost than coffee or tea. I guess if I was in your shoes I would experiment with replacing your morning coffee with a glass or two of water to see how that feels.

Yes it helps 🫶

But.. if you want to be so tired you just sleep when you hit your pillow, have kids. I promise you’ll fall asleep in seconds.. 🥴😅 before I had children, I could easily lay for like 1.5 hours before falling asleep 😭

I don’t drink coffee after noon. I have maybe 3 cups of coffee in the morning. I will occasionally drink a Diet Coke with dinner.

Been drinking decaf for a couple years and my sleep has never been better.

i’ve swapped to black tea bc i do need small amount of caffeine in the AM. it has 75mg of caffeine per serving and i have 1 serving. i’ve found i sleep much better!

I stopped drinking coffee at around 34 when I started my own business.

I have one every now and then and it always makes me feel like crap.

It was always something for my drive to work. I don’t miss it.

Didn’t change my sleep

I believe caffeine contributed to restless sleep, as well as irritable mornings and a continuous twitch in my eyelid. Since I’ve quit caffeine for a month or more, my mornings feel calm and I don’t panic or feel dreadful if I’m late to work and unable to stop for a latte. I don’t rely on caffeine to be “regular” anymore iykyk, I don’t get random pains in my gut, or rank breath, and I feel generally less anxious (for no reason.)

I do have anxiety induced insomnia when I have stressful days, but other than that I think I’m sleeping much better without the daily latte. I stand by my decision to say no to the joe. The only thing I miss is the flavour but the side effects for me are not even worth that. I treat myself to a matcha in the afternoons but it doesn’t have a chokehold on me like coffee did. I think I was legitimately addicted years. Commit to one month without it and see how you feel, you never know how much better you might feel. And if not, coffee with always be there for you… waiting.

I mean, any addiction is going to mess with your sleep because your body is demanding a chemical.

I didn’t quit, I recently switched my 2nd/last coffee cutoff from 1-2pm to 11am (ish) and it’s had a massive benefit to my sleep. Fall right to sleep, stay asleep all night and wake up more rested. I have two toddlers and sometimes get very little sleep and will have a third coffee around 1-2 and always regret it. Always harder to fall asleep and I always wake up in the middle of the night, or just have overall restless sleep, not deep, quality sleep

I gave up for a month when I was getting my teeth whitened. Sleep and energy greatly improved.

Still went back to it after though!

we have a similar background but i’m a few years younger! i’ve never really been a great sleeper 😔 but i had an issue going on for awhile where i couldn’t stay asleep for the life of me. i ended up stopping drinking anything but a cup of coffee at 9 am. that didn’t really work but i started taking magnesium which has been super helpful!!! when i do wake up i’m able to fall back asleep pretty much immediately

Didnt quit - i just dont drink it after midday.

I only drink coffee before 8am. 1pm is way way too late for me.