I did something I always tell people not to do.
I had five coffees before 3pm.
It started innocently enough. One before my first call, another after.
Then one mid-morning, because I was flagging.
Then one "for the taste."
Then one more, because why not, I was already in too deep.
Each cup felt justified in the moment. I was running from one thing to another, trying to stay sharp, trying to get through everything.
And it worked... until it didn't.
That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My body was tired, but my mind was humming like a machine.
I shouldn't have been surprised. Caffeine blocks adenosine, the chemical that makes you feel sleepy.
It doesn't give you energy, it just hides your tiredness behind a curtain.
When the caffeine fades, the adenosine rushes back in. That's the crash.
Only with five coffees deep, the crash wasn't coming.
I took nearly two hours to get to sleep. Usually i'm out in about 9 minutes (at least that's what my tracker tells me).
Caffeine has a half life of roughly 5-6 hours. But with so much of it in my body, there was still far too much circulating to let me fall properly asleep.
It's funny how often we try to outsmart our own biology. We push through, mask fatigue, and then wonder why our sleep feels off.
And here's the thing... I know better.
I've spent years studying how sleep works. Yet sometimes I still do it.
That's the part people don't talk about much.
Sleep isn't about perfection. It's not a score or a performance. It's a rhythm.
You get closer to it by noticing, adjusting, being kind to yourself when you miss the mark.
If you've been leaning a bit too hard on caffeine lately, don't beat yourself up. We all do it. Just start small.
Swap one cup for water or herbal tea. Take a short walk instead of another espresso.
You'll be surprised how quickly your body finds its balance again when you give it a chance.
Sleep well,
