Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder slurp coffee in ‘Reality Bites’.
I never thought I’d say this, but… I quit coffee, and it feels amazing.
There’s nothing wrong with drinking coffee. I love almost everything about it. The ritual of visiting my favourite café and chatting with the barista, the warmth of the takeaway cup in my hand, the smell, the morning buzz it gives me. I also love preparing it myself at home, and curling up on the couch as I drink it.
Since I was in uni, I developed a habit of drinking coffee every day. I’d been doing it for so long that I didn’t even realise that it was affecting my sleep.
Related: 6 ways to make your sleep work harder.
I’ve always had problems sleeping, particularly falling asleep. It’s annoying, and now that I have a toddler, my sleep time has become even more precious.
One day, I accidentally quit coffee. I just forgot to drink it. And that night, I fell asleep quicker than usual, and had a satisfying, deep slumber.
I had such a good sleep that I didn’t feel the need to drink coffee the next day. That following night, I also slept well. And thus began my cycle of not drinking coffee.
I realised that I’d been stuck in a different cycle, which was motivated and affected by caffeine. I’d have two coffees each day, and even though both of them were before 5pm, I’d still have trouble falling asleep. The next morning, I’d wake up feeling tired, so I’d drink coffee to prop myself up. (Post continues after gallery.)
