There is nothing nicer than that first morning cup of coffee to get you going for the day. Well maybe it’s the second cup that wakes you up. Third? OK so maybe caffeine doesn’t have the same affect on you as it once did and it’s time to cut it out. But how easy do you think it is? Could you forgo your morning cup easily?
Here, we are going to look at what happens when you quit caffeine and the effects it has on your body. To fully kick the addiction, it’s going to take grit and determination, which is why we have come up with 7 reasons why you should quit caffeine too. So, if you are ready to ditch the caffeine for once and for all, let’s take a look at what you are likely to expect over the first couple of weeks.
The First Few Days
OK, we’re not going to lie, the first few days are going to be rough. BUT… it’s only 72 hours of discomfort in exchange for a life of better health. The symptoms you might find in the first few days will be headaches, down moods, trouble concentrating, crankiness, tiredness and sleepiness. Once you have managed three days of these symptoms, you should start to see an improvement in yourself and your health.
The Next Ten Days
As your body adjusts to no caffeine, it will begin to form new routines. Your sleep may take up to 2 weeks to get back to normal, but you will begin to have more energy in the mornings and definitely feel less cranky. But amazing transformations are happening inside. Your organs will begin to function better, your body will start producing more healthy hormones and you will feel physically and emotionally more stable.
Reasons Why You Should Quit Caffeine:
1. It Lowers Your Anxiety
Anyone who has a caffeine addiction will tell you about the caffeine jitters. Known by the shaky feeling across your whole body, the caffeine jitters are usually accompanied by a feeling of dread, heightened alertness and anxiety. By cutting out caffeine, you will start to notice that all of these symptoms subside. For those who are already suffering from anxiety, caffeine can make it a lot worse so it’s really important you steer clear of caffeine.
2. You Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours and it’s highly recommended that you don’t drink caffeine for at least 4 hours before you go to bed. So, it stands to reason that you would get a better night’s sleep without it. The reason it affects your sleep so much is that it stops you from entering a deep sleep, the kind of sleep that helps your body and mind to regenerate. Once out of the habit of having deep sleep, it can take weeks for your body to get back into it and as such, can take a little while before you notice yourself having a good night’s sleep.
3. Slower Ageing Skin
Did you know that caffeine has an adverse effect on the amount of collagen your body produces? Collagen is a protein that is produced by your body to pump up your skin and keep it tight. Without this protein your skin will lose its elasticity quicker and make you more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. By removing caffeine from your diet, you can slow the ageing process!
4. Whiter and Healthier Teeth
Whether your choice of caffeine is coffee, soda or tea, all of these come with added colours that can stain your teeth. As you drink these down, they pass over your teeth and leave a small amount of reside that, when left for a certain amount of time, can stain the enamel on your teeth. As well as this, caffeine dries out your mouth and reduces the amount of saliva that you make. Saliva is a key element in fighting bacteria and as such, your mouth is at a higher risk of bacterial attack when you drink lots of caffeine. The less caffeine in your diet, the less risk of tooth decay.
5. Lowered Blood Pressure
Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is vital for a healthy body and healthy organs, but the more caffeine you put into your body, the higher your blood pressure goes. High blood pressure can put you at risk for lots of different health problems including diabetes and heart disease. By reducing or eliminating your intake of caffeine, your blood pressure will return to a normal level, and this will in turn keep your body healthy too.
6. More Energy
It’s hard to believe that a beverage we always reach for to get more energy is actually doing the opposite in the long run. The caffeine quick high and then long come down means that people are often more tired than energised by caffeine (unless they are drinking it constantly) and as such, quitting caffeine is a much more effective way to get more energy. After a week or two of quitting caffeine, you will see your energy levels improve and you’ll feel ten times better in the morning!
7. You’ll Be More Hydrated
Caffeine often acts as a diuretic which can cause you to lose more water than you put in. With our bodies in need of water to function properly, its important to stay hydrated and keep your water in good balance. By cutting out caffeine and replacing it with a healthier alternative, you will be keeping your body more hydrated and allowing your organs to function at a better level.
The habit of drinking coffee can be such a difficult one to quit. But when the caffeine isn’t working and your body is just as tired as before, it makes total sense to remove it from your life. The health benefits speak for themselves so with some determination and willpower, you’ll have no problem in quitting caffeine.
FAQs
Drinking less coffee or even eliminating caffeine entirely can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and reduce headaches, among several other benefits.
What happens to your body when you stop drinking caffeine? ›
The severity of symptoms vary from individual to individual, and most commonly include a headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling foggy/not clearheaded.
How long does it take to detox from caffeine? ›
The duration of caffeine withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person, but caffeine withdrawal usually lasts at least 2 to 9 days . Someone who abruptly stops caffeine intake after regular use will usually feel withdrawal effects between 12 and 24 hours after stopping.
Is it okay to quit caffeine cold turkey? ›
The key is to cut down slowly on the amount of caffeine in your diet. Don't make the mistake of stopping totally abruptly. By doing so, you'll likely experience withdrawal symptoms like headache, nausea, tiredness, muscle pain, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
Can you live longer without caffeine? ›
In the study, published in the American Medical Association's JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed the participants' reported coffee consumption, medical histories, and smoking and drinking habits, and found that coffee drinkers were between 10 and 15 percent less likely to die during that period than non- ...
Is it good to cycle off caffeine? ›
It is suggested by reliable sources, that cycling off caffeine for a month (this includes all caffeine beverages and sources) will reduce tolerance. Other sites state that the process of cycling off caffeine can take anywhere from two weeks to two months and depends on the amount you were consuming.
How did your life change after quitting caffeine? ›
I no longer feel the racing heart feeling I used to get and my anxiety has calmed down overall. I get less energy crashes - I used to feel wired from coffee in the morning, and then experience slumps midday. Now my energy levels are controlled solely by the amount of sleep I get, my food intake, and exercise.
Why is caffeine withdrawal so bad? ›
Caffeine causes blood vessels in the brain to constrict, slowing blood flow. Experts believe that if you stop consuming it, your blood vessels expand, blood flow accelerates, and the added pressure gives you a caffeine withdrawal headache. Anxiety. People who abruptly stop consuming caffeine may experience anxiety.
Is it better to not drink caffeine? ›
Blood pressure spikes when you drink caffeine. Researchers think it might also keep your arteries from staying as wide as they should for healthy blood pressure. If you cut caffeine, you skip this blood pressure bump and potential complications along with it.
Does caffeine cause belly fat? ›
Does caffeine cause belly fat? "No, caffeine does not directly cause belly fat. The main cause for increased or excessive belly fat is being in a calorie surplus. Caffeine does not contain calories, therefore could not directly cause belly fat," Rasmussen explains.
If you prefer to boost your energy without adverse reactions like anxiety, insomnia, or tummy trouble, you're in luck: There are plenty of coffee alternatives sure to brighten your day. And best of all, many of them—including green tea, guarana, and yerba maté—provide bonus health benefits as well.
Can you lose weight by cutting out caffeine? ›
Weight Loss: While quitting coffee itself might not directly cause weight loss, eliminating high-calorie coffee additives like sugar and cream can reduce calorie intake, potentially contributing to weight management. However, weight loss is a complex process that also depends on overall diet and physical activity.
Is quitting caffeine worth it? ›
You Could Feel More Relaxed. Nixing caffeine means no more morning or late-night jitters, and that could be good for your stress levels. All that irritability and restlessness you may experience during the workday could dissipate or lessen simply by cutting out coffee or soda.
Will I have more energy if I quit caffeine? ›
It's hard to say if your energy levels will go back to where they were before you started consuming coffee, but if you tend to drink coffee later in the day and decide to quit, you might simply have more energy because you're getting more sleep at night, as O'Connor explains.
Does quitting caffeine improve sleep? ›
If you are struggling with sleep, start keeping track of the time of day you consume caffeine and how you sleep that night. You may find that you sleep better with a longer period of caffeine abstinence before bed, such as 10 hours or more.
How has quitting caffeine changed my life? ›
I no longer feel the racing heart feeling I used to get and my anxiety has calmed down overall. I get less energy crashes - I used to feel wired from coffee in the morning, and then experience slumps midday. Now my energy levels are controlled solely by the amount of sleep I get, my food intake, and exercise.
How many days does it take for caffeine to leave your system? ›
The levels in your bloodstream peak an hour later and remain there for several hours. About 6 hours after you consume caffeine, half of it is still in your body. Caffeine may not completely clear your bloodstream until after 10 hours.
How long does it take to reset caffeine tolerance? ›
Slowly tapering caffeine intake can take 2 weeks to several months (in extreme cases) to reset your caffeine tolerance. Quitting cold turkey is faster. It may reset your caffeine tolerance in about a week to 2 weeks (although withdrawals may make that time pretty miserable).
Does quitting caffeine increase testosterone? ›
Among men, consumption of caffeinated coffee increased total testosterone and decreased total and free estradiol. Among women, decaffeinated coffee decreased total and free testosterone and caffeinated coffee decreased total testosterone.
