Time: Everything You Need to Know About Caffeine—Including How to Quit It
By Jeffrey Kluger
August 19, 2024
I’ll never know how much caffeine I consumed the night I practically drank my weight in Typhoo tea, but given the fact that I stayed awake for 24 hours, it was an awful lot. The tea was delicious, the conversation with friends was engaging—and both conspired to see me consuming three pots of the stuff before I realized what I had done. Jitteriness followed; then a headache; then accelerated heart rate; and finally a full day and night of sleeplessness.
That may have been my lowest caffeine moment, but it was not remotely the only time I overindulged. Like most adults, I consume caffeine on a daily basis, and I’ve sometimes paid a price—especially in terms of insomnia. So how much caffeine is too much? How do you quit if you want to? And what is the best time of day to stop drinking it if you don’t want to spend the night staring at the ceiling? Here’s what you need to know.
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As for energy drinks, beware. A small, 8.4-oz. can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, and a concentrated, 2-oz. energy shot can contain a staggering 215 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic. Just how any one person will react to these caffeine dosings can be hard to predict, and the 400-mg limit is just a general benchmark.
“There is individual variation in how caffeine is metabolized,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller, “so some people may experience unwanted side effects with a lower amount of caffeine.”
What are caffeine’s side effects?
Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can make it harder both to fall and stay asleep. Other side effects can include irritability, nervousness, excessive urination, headaches, and muscle tremors, says registered dietitian Mindy Haar, assistant dean at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions. “For people with a history of anxiety, depression, or mood disorders,” Feller says, “high caffeine intake can exacerbate feelings of instability.”
Read the full article on Time.com
