I have ADHD and stimulants actually have a calming effect on my mind. Coffee (especially when hot) literally makes me sleepy.
So I was this person, and I didn’t figure it out until later in life.
The trick is, with ADHD, caffeine will slow down your brain but it still speeds up your body (still a stimulant). So too much, and you will be tired and jittery.
I recommend stacking L-theanine with caffeine/coffee to prevent jitters. It’s why Green Tea has a more calming wakefulness than other sources of caffeine
https://www.healthline.com/health/l-theanine#benefits-and-uses
That’s why I use nootropics instead of caffeine. Specifically this stuff. (Ingredients)
No jitters, just dopamine. Slows my brain down, takes away the depression, and allows me to actually get shit done instead of sitting in front of the computer all day. A full capsule is too much, but they’re easy to open and extract the powder. I get 2-3 doses from a single pill.
The effects of this particular blend I take are extremely similar to Adderall. It feels like it literally turns off my ADHD for a few hours. Unfortunately, it’s so similar to Adderall that it also has a similar comedown. But for a brief moment, it allows me to be a functional adult, and for that reason alone it’s worth it.
FYI that product is not regulated in any way and is not required to contain the ingredients it claims to have. In addition, it’s a huge red flag that the main page doesn’t talk about what it contains, it just lists a bunch of things it doesn’t have. It’s also a huge red flag that they chose such an intentionally misleading name that is only one letter away from a real drug with peer-reviewed science backing it up.
I was legitimately in my late 30s when I first realised this about myself too; the sheer amount of caffeine I can be on (upwards of 300mg pre-workout for an evening gym session), and be pretty much asleep before my head hits the pillow.
I have no idea the long-term impact this level of stimulants would have on my health (but I doubt it’s good), but it works!
My wife is extremely jealous of this, if she so much as looks at a bottle of Coke after 4pm she has trouble sleeping… 🤣
I was the same way. I would drink tons of caffeine to slow down my brain (which made me feel productive because I could focus), but I learned to ignore the physical anxiety it gave me. I would fall asleep instantly because I was just exhausted all the time (and didn’t know, if you can believe it).
If I got to a quiet place like nature I would get butterflies and it turns out it was because I got away from the distractions of daily life and could finally feel that anxiety I learned to ignore.
Long story short, turns out I’m autistic and it was a form of masking where your body is so uncomfortable with being seen/being a problem that it will literally convince you that you’re fine. Wild. Glad I figured it out.
Overeating is bad for sleep, isn’t it?
Wait, caffeine actually keeps you all awake? It usually just makes me more tired. I only drink it to keep the withdrawls at bay.
The Internet suggests that caffeine might be interfering with your adenosine receptors, and may actually be making you more sleepy.
Try tea occasionally instead. It has other compounds that can offset caffeine effects, even if it also contains caffeine. Or try decaf coffee and see if it paradoxically causes you to be more alert.
I’m British, so black tea with milk (or substitute) and some kind of sweetener to taste is what most of us (and most of Ireland too) go for.
As for which black tea, we don’t really consider that unless we’re at least a couple of levels into serious tea drinking. Most supermarkets sell own-brand and name brand tea bags that we gladly grab every time we’re in a supermarket, but what’s in them is generally a blend made for taste more than anything else.
I am not sure how tea purchasing works in other countries. Sometimes what we drink is called “breakfast tea” or “builder’s tea”, if that helps.
I wish. Cortado at 4 and I still fall asleep as soon as I sit down after dinner sometimes.
Especially once the clocks change. Swear there’s like a month where I’m falling asleep at 6pm and waking up fucking ready to go at 2 am.
3:30pm, sips double expresso, “huh?”