GenCon, sleep, hard-core gaming and drowsy driving

mudbunny · May 20, 2010

Jeff Wilder · May 20, 2010

It drives me crazy when people crow about being "special" -- "I hate cilantro, it tastes like soap!" -- but this is an area that's always kinda weirded me out:

I can drink a triple espresso and be deeply and refreshingly asleep an hour later.

And I'm not claiming that caffeine doesn't work on me. Far from it; that scenario is nightmarish. Much like my dead gay son, I love my caffeine jolt, and a world in which caffeine had no effect on me is a world in which I wouldn't want to live.

It's just that when it's time to sleep, caffeine doesn't keep me awake, and so far as I can tell it doesn't make my sleep any less restful.

What's up with that, Piratecat? (Hey, that rhymes.)

Piratecat · May 20, 2010

Different people really do respond to caffeine differently, and it's not hard to become habituated. I wouldn't know without hooking you up to machines that go "ping!", but my guess is that the extra caffeine does impact your brainwaves while you sleep. You're a deep enough sleeper that you aren't noticing. Treasure this; it's a nifty thing to have. If you notice it changing as you age, adjust your habits accordingly.

Jeff Wilder · May 21, 2010

Piratecat said:
If you notice it changing as you age, adjust your habits accordingly.

Seriously, man, if I ever have to give up coffee, they'd better 5150 me.

Derulbaskul · May 21, 2010

Jeff Wilder said:
(snip)I can drink a triple espresso and be deeply and refreshingly asleep an hour later. (snip)

I get my caffeine from two sources: coffee and Red Bull. I need at least one of them in the morning by about 9.30/10.00am else I suffer from migraines. I need at least one or two more during the day to keep going.

And, similar to your experience, I sometimes need one so I can sleep.

Umbran · May 21, 2010

Derulbaskul said:
I get my caffeine from two sources: coffee and Red Bull. I need at least one of them in the morning by about 9.30/10.00am else I suffer from migraines.

As I understand it, that's a possible symptom of habituation. You may be getting the migraines not so much because you need caffeine to stave them off, but because you're suffering caffeine withdrawal.

If that isn't it, and you get migraines every day, you should see a doctor. Self-medication may be okay for occasional issues, but for chronic ones it is better to talk to someone properly educated on the human body.

Piratecat · May 21, 2010

That's classic caffeine addiction. If it bothers you, try easing off the amount of caffeine you're drinking just a little bit at a time, dropping the amount you drink every 2-3 days. As an alternative, expect a week or so of awful headaches.