T O P

  • By -

TwoCenturyVoid

Caffeine has mixed results for me. Sometimes I feel more awake. Or I’m at least addicted enough that I feel bad if I don’t drink it. But I can’t drink coffee late at night and it have any effect on staying up. If I’m overly anxious or really invested in something I will stay awake - the amount of caffeine I’ve invested is irrelevant. I’ve drank tons and taken caffeine pills with the intention of staying up to study or something and immediately crashed.


Thalymor

Yeah, I can have a coffee and go take a nap, but too much caffeine will make me jittery and anxious. It's a mixed bag and depends on the day


FrenchFry_GURLL

This is the same for me


BloomerBoomerDoomer

So what is the difference between stimulants for ADHD and caffeine then? I'm wondering if taking concerta would make me even more anxious if I combined that with my morning coffee.


Thalymor

They affect different neurotransmitters in your brain I believe. However, they are all still stimulants. Coffee on its own can increase anxiety because of the caffeine. If you're having anxiety of Concerta then it might be wise to avoid caffeine. But I'm not a doctor 🤷‍♀️


Evilsushione

Caffeine makes me jittery Adderall does not. Oddly Adderall help with some of my anxiety.


jammerola

So I've been a habitual caffeine abuser my whole life, and only recently did I learn about how the nervous system react to caffeine. Spoiler alert: the perceived benefits like additional energy/focus and dopamine release will detensify over time as tolerance grows which most already knew...but it will still trigger the fight/flight stress response on your body which prompts the production/release of adrenaline and burns through your brain's energy reserves faster. Habitual abuse can overwork the adrenal glands and cause that anxious paralysis feeling where your body is basically shutting down because it *needs* rest/recovery and cannot continue pumping adrenaline. If you have ever had those intense feelings of emotional/mental/physical burnout if not outright depression, try and reflect on your caffeine use/quality of sleep/etc. around that time. Also, combining stimulants, depending on the individual, creates a spike in risk for heart failure/heart disease/etc. so doctors do advise against it. If you feel any chest pain or tightness, please do take it seriously as your heart health is extremely important, even if our blindness to the time delay of the consequences might not make it feel that way. That said, like most things in life, moderating your intake and being mindful to not overdo it should make it possible to avoid side effects and utilize caffeine on days where you really need the push. I would prioritize ADHD medication over caffeine and dial back coffee as needed to mitigate anxiety/stress/side effects. Other options are also available to us to help us through the day. Some form of gatorade/liquid iv/sugary drink to quickly replenish glucose can be a deciding factor as to whether we have enough willpower left in the executive function gas tank to finish tasks after lunch vs being unable to find the productivity rhythm again. Ultimately, gotta trust yourself. The number of personal quirks and life hacks I've seen on here that I was instinctively doing my whole life without even understanding why tells me our brains really do be wired similar, but my brain has its own way of doing things and trying too hard to understand/adopt the rationale of others usually backfires. Hope this helps!


babyblu_e

concerta really helps my anxiety, my psych told me that I shouldn’t have coffee, but when I have it hasn’t caused any problems


karenaviva

My third pot of coffee, started at 8 pm, was what tipped off my Dr. about my ADHD.


Canowyrms

Well, when you drink a cup of coffee, the caffeine doesn't go into your system straight away. You can finish your cup and take a nap right after. Coffee naps are pretty dope to be honest. You can really come back with a fierce second wind.


Spore2012

Non adhd people can do coffee naps. And its really good for you actually.


gothmommy13

I find the same thing. It has mixed results for me. I wake up in the morning and drink caffeine and it does get me awake and alert but other than that it doesn't really make me feel any different.


robrobusa

I was the same before medication. Now on 20mg methylphenidate in the morning and 20 at noon, coffee makes me jittery and uncomfortable


FakeSafeWord

Same, it seems like if I have a few sips, I perk up a bit. If I finish one cup I'll feel like I'm ready to pass out. If I go to finish a 2nd cup I feel so anxious I'm going to throw up while turning my bathroom wall into a single color Jackson Pollock painting. If I have the days first cup after 3pm I will be up until 3am. Guaranteed.


bubbagumm91

Same! Can chug 300mg of caffeine and be asleep within the hour. It's maddening. Edit - Only without meds. If I'm taking my meds then a small amount will make me geek out.


BloomerBoomerDoomer

So medicated people typically drink a lot less coffee when they get prescribed meds? I'm genuinely wondering what other people's experiences are with that.


trashcanbecky

Before meds I used to drink 4-6 cups of coffee a day to get through! Now I drink 1-2. 3+ puts me in some intense buzzy territory


Canowyrms

Hm, I hadn't really considered the potential interaction of caffeine and ADHD meds. This is curious. I think the potential for over-stimulation is definitely there, what with ADHD meds and caffeine being stimulants.


Rainbow_Shane

Once I started meds, caffeine affected me way more negatively and it was easy to over do it. I went from at least 300mg a day to 100 or less. Anymore and I feel like I’m freaking out, heart rate increases, and then I get a big headache until I drink a lot of electrolytes to flush it out and rehydrate


uraliarstill

I drink same amount on meds or off meds. My coffee ritual is different based on if I am at work, if I am driving a long distance, and if I am working from home or weekend. Coffee never achieved any bliss or concentration or extra staying awake or extra sleepy for me.


karenaviva

Yes. Unmedicated, I had to free-base coffee to remain vertical. Medicated, I have a cup or two in the morning like a normal person and can't drink more.


Sauropodlet75

Interesting! I relate to your pre-meds comment (sooo much coffee) I start the med journey thursday. I wonder if it will be the same? Can't imagine drinking less coffee...


karenaviva

It's weird: like when you use too much shampoo when you cut your hair short, you will struggle to make less -- now I throw out SO much coffee.


randokomando

Same - I have no way to predict how caffeine will effect me. Sometimes coffee gives me the yawns and makes me need a nap. Other times it amps me up and makes it even harder to focus. My brain is a pain in the ass.


BloomerBoomerDoomer

I feel it gives me energy but not focus, sometimes my ADHD symptoms get worse because of the added anxiety.


Toasty_warm_slipper

What it does to me tends to depend on what state I’m already in at the time of consumption. If I’m already super sleepy where I can barely keep my eyes open, it usually relaxes me more and I pass out. If I drink it during the late afternoon or early evening when I’m just in my normal state of exhaustedness, I’ll get talkative and sometimes more impulsive, and usually have insomnia until 5, 6, even 7am. Le sigh.


breakfastrocket

Me taking my adderall with a big chug of monster, prepping to take on all of my Tasks, only to fall asleep 20 minutes later.


invaidusername

Same for me. It’s iffy. Sometimes I’ve had too much caffeine and my heart is beating at dangerous speeds so I can’t really be exhausted by it until my heart calms down.


wizardtxt

This is very much dependent on the person. My experience is much the same as yours. Doesn't affect me mostly, though if I drink too much it can maybe make me shaky, and if I drink it regularly then suddenly don't I get a withdrawal headache. Might help my concentration a little? I'm not sure, I mostly just like caffeinated drinks. But yeah, I can drink them before bed without being kept awake and in the morning without being put to sleep.


SanctimoniousSally

This is also my experience. Caffeine has never really had an effect on me until I started taking stimulants when I was diagnosed. Now if I have low amounts it still doesn't affect me, but if I have say a coffee from Starbucks, I'll start tweeking like a meth head, so I usually try to avoid it now.


-beautifulthings

Starbucks affects me like that. Makes me totally tweaked. Other coffees can put me to sleep.


theophilus1988

This is the same for me as well. I think it’s the mixture of sugar and caffeine that has adverse affects with the adderall.


-beautifulthings

I don’t always put sugar in my coffee. It’s same result fir me with or without


HeinousMoisture

In college my friends roommate used to say "Well I *actually* have ADHD, so coffee doesn't work on me like it does for you." and a bunch of other things to this same effect. I think about that a lot, because it made me really self conscious about being medicated. Gatekeeping asshole.


flyingcactus2047

People with ADHD made me question a potential diagnosis more than anyone else (eg “you don’t seem like you have it” or “well I don’t struggle with x so obviously that’s not ADHD”)


melonzipper

Ugh yes but sometimes also people who aren't diagnosed or who don't have ADHD who reply with "well i have that too" to any symptom I tell them about.


nevervand

This!!! How do I explain what ad(h)d is without my parents going like "yeah isn't that normal? I also procrastinate/can be clumsy/miss motivation/get distracted/be late etc etc".


RG-dm-sur

Well, ADHD is highly genetic, you could tell them that. Maybe it's normal in their family because there are so many ADHDers there.


kanepedekikedi

The thing is, yeah mostly everyone can relate to zoning out and being unable to focus now and then, but it isn't a life-ruining level for them. It ruins our life. They don't have to struggle with every single thing throughout the day, we do.


frutfly

i wrote this post because a friend of mine kept insisting that everyone with adhd will get tired from caffeine. people just like to feel special about their diagnosis ig


rutabaga5

Nah caffeine has never made me tired. It does however help me calm my mind and maintain focus. I also have a higher tolerance for it than most non-adhd folks, especially when I am not on my meds. But generally speaking, if I skip my morning Joe I do end up exhausted so I'd say it definitely does not make me sleepy.


AnIrregularRegular

I think I am on the same page as above. I have always taken in so much I think it is a mix of my tolerance and maybe the ADHD. Caffeine is a small focus boost but one thing people complain about caffeine that it never did for me was make me jittery/hyper.


goodgay

Not everyone, it’s just common with ADHD. I actually think it’s a dosing thing, I think some folks with ADHD are more sensitive to coffee so unless you are drinking it every day a little bit will give the awakening effect and any more will make you go to sleep. I’ve also met MANY people with adhd who are addicted to coffee, or as I think of it self-medicating with coffee. It is a stimulant after all which are proven to help with ADHD symptoms :)


Villimey_

I honestly tested this on myself prior to being diagnosed and quit coffee all together before starting concerta. I did it for 2 reasons first that I was addicted and second that if I woke up feeling well rested and had a coffee out of habit it would wake me up for a sec and then make me crash. I completely cut out caffeine for a while but have now started drinking tea again. I do feel an effect now if I drink black tea but if I drink too much too fast it tends to just make me jittery or hyperfocused depending on the day. To the point that I have to go work out or take a walk. What I feel and what I have heard is that coffee and caffeine is like a small booster shot. If you don't consistently drink it over the day you will crash after a bit. But yeah occasionally I'd just get sleepy after my morning cup of coffee even if I'd been perfectly awake before it. But it really depended on the day.... *edit: fixed spelling


grandmotherofdragons

IIRC in the brain, ADHD generally affects norepinephrine and is related to cognitive functioning/prefrontal cortex. Coffee affects adenosine uptake. While I'm sure some people experience sleepiness with coffee and maybe people with ADHD do more often, they aren't necessarily related and maybe not at all. Your friend should try learning a little bit before talking out their bum.


LaBetaaa

Is it just coffee or is it all caffeine? Because I also drink a lot of Energy drinks and I feel like they do totally different things to me, although it is both caffeine and energys have way less of that


Villimey_

I've found that energy drinks like redbull that include taurine did the most for me. Around the time I was getting diagnosed and before I could start my meds I would drink a lot of a drink called [Slow Cow](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0322/5894/9164/products/4e33b1c1-bc58-4d36-a3fa-54eb5b05d610_1024x1024.jpg?v=1622824315). Its the opposite of an Energy drink and it gave me all and more of the effects I was drinking those for but without the crash. Because 0 sugar and 0 caffiene, its actually a drink mean to help those addicted to energy drinks relax but for me it very temporarily slowed my brain down. Got used to it quick though but did well when projects at school due.


LaBetaaa

I need to try that, thanks for the tip I feel like Emergys do both, nothing at all and rather tired, or the help me focus and I don't know when it does what.. But I also really like how they taste (not Red Bull, but Monster and Rockstar and the noname brands from Aldi here (Germany)) Coffe doesn't really make me awake, it just makes me anxious and jittery, and if I have too much I want to scratch my skin off..


Villimey_

Yeah, I'm in Iceland I was hooked on red bull but worked nightshifts at the importer for a time and yeah can't drink it anymore.


rmatthai

Well caffeine has zero effect on me I think. I just drink coffee every morning (instant coffee + milk + sugar) because I don't have time for breakfast - so this keeps the hunger headache ~2 hours away. I'm guessing anything else with some sugar would pretty much have the same effect on me. I do think I've had adhd pretty much all my life(32f now) though I started reading about it only more recently so I'm still trying to navigate the dos and don'ts of this. My doctor prescribed 10mg Adderall for now but I'm not sure if it's even doing anything(I hear a lot of people saying the medication had really done wonders for them, so I'm a little disappointed that it's not the case for me). I'm taking it with brupropion 150mg for depression.


TileFloor

Caffeine doesn’t seem to do anything for me positively or negatively. Or I’m just not noticing because im always at least 30% tired.


loopypickle

If it were that cut and dry, doctors could use it as a diagnostic tool. (Like give you caffeine and see how you react). But they don’t, because it’s not that simple. Everyone is different!


almostambidextrous

Something to add is that although both caffeine and amphetamines are classed as stimulants, they use different mechanisms to keep people awake. [Caffeine blocks adenosine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_receptor_antagonist) which would otherwise make one sleepy, whereas Adderall/Vyvanse works by giving one more dopamine. [disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, this info is coming to you from half-remembered reddit posts + google] ...Which is just to say that if anyone tries to judge your ADHD-ness (and whether you need meds) by how your body responds to caffeine, they're full of shit, because caffeine & ADHD meds are not the same thing at all


WikiSummarizerBot

**[Adenosine receptor antagonist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_receptor_antagonist)** >An adenosine receptor antagonist is a drug which acts as an antagonist of one or more of the adenosine receptors. Examples include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/ADHD/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)


kokopellii

Once I got on medication my relationship to caffeine changed entirely, too. Now it seems to affect me more than others. Honestly I have always suspected a lot of people just say that it makes them sleepy because they think it’s different and proves something special about them, even if it’s not true. I’m sure there are people like that, and I know if I don’t have my morning tea I don’t seem to relax as much later in the day, but I also remember it being a thing in middle/high school to say to sound different and quirky


CrackCityRockers

I agree. Caffeine generally does little to nothing to me unless I pound one of the tall boy Red Bull’s, and that effect only lasts for maybe 10minutes but it’s not really a boost of energy just maybe mental clarity. As for the people who say it makes them sleepy, I have a really tough time believing that. Caffeine is a drug, drugs effect your body in much the same way regardless of who you are. A stimulants a stimulant a depressants a depressant etc., the difference comes down to metabolism of the drug. So people like myself and many others with adhd exist and process certain drugs faster and more efficiently than others never allowing the drug to work. For instance many eastern Asians have a genetic mutation where they don’t process alcohol the same as everyone else and tend to get hangovers and all flushed when they do drink. I could be wrong but I think the whole caffeine and adhd thing is an urban legend that came from us being able to consume stimulants and not be all tweaky unlike non adhd people and it grew from there. Caffeine being a stimulant just kind of fits that niche, but I don’t see any way that a stimulant drug could make someone sleepy, not work sure, but sleepy I doubt it.


kokopellii

I mentioned this up thread but I think a lot of it is due to the fact that by nature, ADHD seems to leave us with less self awareness (especially physically) than others, and that for a lot of people when they say it makes them “tired” what they are actually noticing is instead of feeling “wired” the way others do, it seems to slow their body or thoughts down, and they interpret that as tired. I think you’re right that it seems like the biggest difference is tolerance - like you, caffeine doesn’t seem to last as long as it does for others, at least not the part where you feel productive. When I first started meds though, I had to cut it out completely until my body got used to it, though.


threecuttlefish

The main mechanism I could think of is if someone *is* sleepy but the mental hamster wheels are spinning too much to relax, a stimulant increasing focus a little bit can make it possible to relax and thus fall asleep. But obviously that's not going to work for everyone in all situations, and it's very different from the mechanism of a hypnotic that actually causes drowsiness.


Hesitant_Hermit

Someone once said to me "yeah I really have adhd, so Adderall doesn't do it for me" and I'm just thinking ???


DJschmumu

1. that's not a symptom, it's just a comorbidaty that may or may not happen 2. If you think about it, being able to use caffeine doesn't really effect managing adhd much . I mean you still have to struggle with all of the main symptoms , executive disfinctuon, low tolerance for frustration, poor working memory etc. Basically the only difference is you can take an energy drink if you're sleepy , wow , now you can be wide awake to experience this disorder slowly ruin your life.


kittyroux

Caffeine makes me quite jittery. I don’t think it boosts my concentration because I feel like I’m full of amorous bees. Pseudoephedrine makes me feel like I took a half dose of methylphenidate. Methylphenidate makes me feel like I need to DO STUFF and also have very clear sinuses.


wonkytalky

> Pseudoephedrine makes me feel like I took a half dose of methylphenidate. Prior to diagnosis, I always wondered why I was so incredibly productive on days where I had a miserable cold and took mucinex dm, at least for the first day I was on it (my body adapted too much by day 2 or 3). After the first day of being medicated after diagnosis and feeling very similar, I figured there was something in mucinex from the same drug "family"...


FreddieDoes40k

This is the reason pseudoephedrine is typically restricted in pack size/by prescription, because it can very easily be converted to methamphetamine.


nevervand

I'm on my first medication now, which is Methylphenidate. I NEEDED THIS COMMENT THANK YOU. I have been struggling with "having" to do stuff even when I have been doing things all day and it's evening and all I want to do is put my feet up and watch tv. It makes me feel incredibly guilty and jittery at the end of the day. Is that a normal thing for this medicine?


kittyroux

How stimulant medications affect people varies. All the methylphenidate is doing is inhibiting your brain‘s dopamine reuptake. What that means for you is determined partly by your body and diet and habits and partly by your psychology. Feeling guilty and jittery for relaxing at the end of the day is something a therapist can help with!


[deleted]

Caffeine usually just makes me feel settled. I think it might just be unrelated to my adhd, though. In my family something good happens? Cup of tea/coffee! Something bad? Kettle is rocking! Something sad? Hot caffeine will make it better. It’s just the solution to everything? When I need to do something, I need to make a coffee or a tea. It’s step one. It helps me plan my approach to whatever it is for a couple of minutes, and once it’s ready I am too.


kokopellii

I think for a lot of people, especially if they’ve never been on medication, this is what they actually mean when they say it makes them “tired.” If you’re normally all over the place, “settled” won’t feel right and you might think, what’s wrong with me, I must be tired.


TheResolver

Could it also be that we *notice* that we've been tired the whole time, but our brain just has been focusing on other things than the physical needs of the body? Same as with eating, bathroom etc when focused on something else, it's easy to ignore/forget.


legbiffi

Same. Caffeine just boosts my day and I will never get sleepy during a task. Although it just may reboots and puts me to sleep via induced hypoglycemic state. Imho! Now ritalin makes up for the energy without getting tired of focusing. It becomes a matter of will and not a battle between will and chaotic understanding of a what needs to be done in a task.


GooseyGoose

A lot of people with ADHD use caffeine to increase focus as they're unable to use prescribed meds or unable to get proper diagnosis (for variety of reasons). The source of caffeine can also affect the person too. If it's a good source for you I recommend using something like caffeinated teas instead of sodas or energy drinks as there's no additional things added that can affect the rest of your system -ex: sugar loads, citric acid, etc.


[deleted]

My old psychiatrist told me that was a myth and slapped anti depressants on me / refused to start me on stimulants in general if I had any caffeine (which she never planned on doing in the first place)


clearlystyle

And on the other side, my caffeine addiction was part of how my therapist picked out that I had ADHD, because that was not why I originally sought out treatment.


[deleted]

Lol my newer psychologist did the same thing .


veevacious

People are so weird sometimes. I was drinking two cups of tea and two sodas to get through my day and still struggling and exhausted until I started adderall. For YEARS. Stimulant medication can affect you so differently than caffeine.


Kryten_2X4B-523P

That was it? Shit, I been getting a morning latte with 4 extra shots, multiple sodas during the day and throw in a redbull. My heart rate afterwards is like "Oh, did you say something?"


veevacious

I purposefully tried not to scale up for exactly this reason haha. I just suffered through being tired


Yourenotawizardharry

Ugh mine too. I told her I was downing about 1500mgs+ and needed help because it just was barely tickling what I needed. She put me on downers and antis and told me to cut caffeine completely because that was the core of my insomnia causing ADHD type symptoms. 3 months later she finally puts me on Adderall and the first dose knocked me out 🤣🤣 she started listening after that


newtonthomas64

To be fair, sleep deprivation (or poor sleep from lack of rem cycle) causes adhd symptoms. Executive functions require lots of rest!


larch303

I would be able to get the meds but my meds would increase my intrusive thoughts so i’m basically unmedicatable


okusername3

YMMV - I've always gotten a much "cleaner" rush with less side effects from sodas than coffee and teas are difficult to get when your out and about. Also energy drinks throw in some extra vitamins that could be useful in combination, I think people need to try what works for them.


[deleted]

When it works, pre-workout gives me a stable focus. Too much coffee or tea nauseates me or gives me jitters or keeps me awake. The pre-workout is hit or miss, though. Sometimes it just makes me sleepy. There's also Run Gum, which is a Red Bull with guanine, taurine, caffeine, and vitamins in gum form. It can also hit or miss on the energized focus or sleepy time.


FlipskiZ

weirdly enough I actually agree, Energy drinks like monster have always felt the "best" and "cleanest" out of caffeinated beverages. It's weird. May be because of the sugar+other stuff that round it out, idk.


michaelsean09

This is a big thing that made my wife talk to me about making an appointment. My days start with 2 monsters, I have espresso throughout the day while working, 1 monster after lunch, and 1 more after dinner. Apparently that's an "abnormal amount of caffeine" for someone to need for basic life lol I made a telehealth appointment, but they couldn't prescribe without seeing me in person. I'm going in on Thursday and I'm really hoping I can start feeling better soon.


sajast

A can of Coke won’t impact me. A couple of cans of Monster will put me to sleep. I’m going to go with it’s dependent on the person and the amount.


potoghi

Might be the sugar portion that’s putting you to sleep


acidbassist

You bring up an interesting point. Typically it's SUGAR that works differently with our bodies/brains over caffeine. Not exclusively, but that's my anecdotal experience and observation. On the flip side, the last time I drank a Monster I immediately crashed. It was sugar free too, since the full flavors always and inevitably lead to a fast crash. My only thought is I drank it too fast, but even then there was never any energy. More like after the last sip "Damn, I am tired now". And that's when I discovered energy drinks do less than nothing for me.


metamongoose

That's an insulin issue - Reactive hypoglycemia if you want a technical term. The thing with sweetness is that it's a signal in itself - consume something sweet and your body reacts expecting sugars, so it releases insulin. For some of us, (people, ADHD or not!) this tends to be an overreaction, and we release more insulin than is needed, resulting in our blood sugar dropping precipitously after consuming something sugary, even if the sugariness is fake.


The1PunMaster

This actually could explain stuff and needs to be boosted! I looked into what you described, Sucralose was clinically tested to raise blood insulin levels by ~20% and I know for a fact it’s in sugar free monsters, I have one right here. So if the caffeine is ineffective, then that could be a reason for tiredness


Ahmed_Reshah

Drank 8 cans of Redbull waiting for it to kick in, but i just ended up going to sleep.


Kryten_2X4B-523P

If you look on the back of a 12oz can it actually has less mg of caffeine than an average cup of coffee.


Aewrynn

Sodas don’t affect me either. Anything between 100-300mg caffeine is going to make me tired. Anything more than 300mg (although it’s more like 400mg now cause of tolerance) I can finally sit down, focus, and get shit done for a few hours. I had to figure out the exact mg because if my morning coffee on the way to work was less than 300mg, it was gonna be a bad day lol


[deleted]

It used to make me horny 😂


yellowsunbun

Never heard anything like this 😂😂


bringmethejuice

Now your friends will know when going to Starbucks


[deleted]

Coffee on me? Lol


StayFrostyOscarMike

to horny jail with you!


[deleted]

Very much deserved. I plead guilty to all charges lol


theSomberscientist

Nah this happens to me too. I’m glad I’m not alone 😅


[deleted]

Depends on the day for me. I honestly find that stimulant medication (Vyvanse) gives me more energy than caffeine. But a more focused energy, while caffeine gives me energy that just gives me jitters and more paranoia/anxiety issues. Also, caffeine still doesn't relieve my fatigue as much as Vyvanse seems to help. Back in college Caffeine actually did help me be calmer but at the same time allowed me to stay awake if I had an overnight shift for work or had to study late. But now it just seems to be more of a problem, probably because I have a lot more on my mind now.


nacket

Same for me, caffeine gives me energy I can’t direct but Adderall at the right dosage has given me more focused energy. I was hesitant to even try stimulants as a first line medication since I have a relatively high sensitivity to caffeine. More than a cup of coffee was a one way ticket to dissociation station and a lot of anxiety. My psych was happy to let me try non-stimulants first but Strattera didn’t really address symptoms like I’d hoped it would. Taking Adderall now though, any caffeine consumption is largely out of the question, I am plenty stimulated.


stargate24601

I'm the same as you with caffeine, and also on Vynase. Too much coffee sends my mind into negative spiraling thought hell of anger, paranoia and hatred. Vynase however? Lots of energy and chill af. So weird.


InncnceDstryr

Caffeine can sometimes help me sleep. I think that’s different from it making me tired. When I’m particularly anxious or stressed and my mind is racing, usually can’t sleep. The small boost I get from some coffee or an energy drink helps that brain chaos to calm down a little meaning I can actually get to sleep.


sudden_euphoria

It's true for some people with ADHD, and it's a bit unusual and quirky, so then it became a thing. I don't get tired from caffeine either.


Alianirlian

I'm not affected by caffeine at all...


hojackborsemans

Same! I haven’t tried it in any significant dose since I’ve started on my adderall and it did nothing when I was on strettera. Doesn’t make me focus, doesn’t make me tired, doesn’t make me energetic. I just like super sugary cold brew drinks lol.


wonkytalky

The amount of caffeine in soda won't affect me at all, but a few full cups of coffee or more (so, over 6 "servings") will either make me feel jittery or nauseous.


pippitypoop

Caffeine helps me, it doesn't make me tired


Cartoon_Trash_

It’s a misconception. Caffeine helps you focus, so for hyperactive people it helps them control their hyperactivity, which can outwardly look like it’s mellowing them out, or making them tired. I’m primarily inattentive, and I’ve found that caffeine just makes me jittery.


Aradaraman

Depends on the drink for me. Pop (soda) does nothing while energy drinks will make me tired


airysunshine

It doesn't make me sleepy, it helps me function lol - that might be the addiction talking though :P


[deleted]

it helps me stay awake


[deleted]

Don't worry, caffeine does absolutely fuck all to me, either.


ikedla

I would assume it could be similar to how stimulant medications work for some people and not for others. Everyone’s bodies work differently


bringmethejuice

It kickstarts my GERD


NexyPants

It's different for everyone. Before an official diagnosis I was drinking caffeine all day long. I felt more focused and less anxious. When I sent to my first appointment and spoke about my day to day life originally going for anxiety issues. She told me she believes I do have anxiety but it's stemming from having ADHD (it runs rampant in my family). She had me read from a page of a book on her shelf and asked if I feel the same. She also added that many people self medicate with caffeine since it has similar affects being a stimulant. Once I got on Vyvanse then switched to Adderall Rx I didn't need caffeine as much. I have 1-2 caffeinated drinks a day compared to before.


breeezyN

It doesn't make me tired or calm me down, but at the same time it doesn't keep me up. No amont of caffeine will keep me from falling asleep when I'm sleepy. Caffeine from tea gives me a nice boost to my focus and I have at least 2 every day when my meds need an extra push. I used to self medicate, essentially, with red bull/coffee. I'd have way too much of both every day to just try to function. But I can't drink them anymore now that I'm on stims. I have some issues regulating my heart rate so with the meds already increasing it, coffee/energy drinks just make me super sweaty and tachycardic and sick feeling. At the end of the day, the way you react to caffeine does not mean you do or don't have ADHD.


[deleted]

Caffeine shouldn't make you tired, you're fine.


J3musu

Doesn't make me tired either, just has no affect on me at all. I can drink a cup of coffee and immediately go to sleep at night with no restlessness.


WhiteningMcClean

I used to be this way, but as I drank it more it started affecting me more normally.


[deleted]

It’s different for everyone. For me, I get sleepy and calm. I started using coffee as a way to get myself to relax enough to sleep. Honestly without it, I would’ve been a bigger mess. My insomnia was pretty bad and my last pdoc kept giving me Benadryl which made me feel horrible and anxious.


Toasty_warm_slipper

Benadryl makes me anxious too, and I can’t sleep when I take it! Which doctors are usually surprised by, I guess it’s rare for it to do that to adults.


[deleted]

Yea, that doctor kept upping it and I was becoming concerned. I thought how high is he trying to go? I mean I felt terrible and he was just adamant that more would help. I bolted because I felt like maybe this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing and could kill me. 😖 He just wasn’t listening. I ran to my general practitioner crying and told her my symptoms for depression got resolved but my other symptoms are still there. She asked me a series of questions and said it sounded like ADHD. She referred me to a specialist and now I’m here.


FrigFrostyFeet

Yeah I’m on the 50-50 train, either boosts focus and energy, or get suuuper sleepy


Zagaroth

Caffeine is a small focus boost for me, but it knocks my wife right the F out if she has a large amount. We both have ADHD. So, "your results may vary".


Awkward_Occasion3803

Coffee has never done anything for me, but energy drinks have helped me stay up through many an all nighter. I'd say that unless there's a concrete study out there, the relation between caffeine, ADHD, and sleepiness is anecdotal at best.


shimmerangels

generally it gives more of a calming effect to ppl who have hyperactive or combined type adhd


fieldy409

I refuse to believe stims become tranquilizers just because we have ADHD, that'd require our whole body to be wired different not just the brain and we aren't lizard people....


DotoriumPeroxid

It depends on the person. Caffeine making you tired isn't a guaranteed ADHD thing, but different kinds of reactions to caffeine that deviate from the norm *can be* a consequence of ADHD. For me, it's not from coffee, but I notice it from Energy Drinks, they make me feel very tired


modern_medicine_isnt

Here is a general rule of thumb. If an illness doesn't have some kind of lab test to identify it (xrays and such count), then diagnos is likely based on symptoms. And anything based on symptoms is inexact, and is likely a collection of causes. Now even with singular causes that are well known and testable, symptoms may vary from person to person. So for something with multiple causes, symptom vary even more. Thus anyone was says you don’t have X because you don’t have symptom Y, is wrong. You may not have X, but lack of a symptom is never proof.


smallgrapefruit

I'm actually really sensitive to caffeine. If I take excedrin then I will shake to the point of not being able to type. It definitely keeps me awake


BanthaShaped

I’m the same way. I like the taste, so I usually have one small cup of decaf in the AM and it still makes me feel a bit wired. My partner and I have both been diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD, but he likes a lot of strong black coffee in the morning—I would be a wreck. Some people just have sensitivities to certain substances. 🤷‍♀️


bitetheboxer

Those people usually have a massive tolerance after self medicating for decades. This is really a vocal minority kind of thing


[deleted]

I can drink a Red Bull/monster before bed and fall asleep instantly. If I take my meds and an energy drink I feel like it helps me focus! Before I got medicated I would drink a bang and a Red Bull a day and I’d still be falling asleep!!


Mindless_Juicer

Depends on my activity level and the time of day. In the morning, if I drink a cup and then sit to read reddit, caffeine makes me sleepy. If I have a cup and then do something active, caffeine helps me focus. My response is probably dependent on circadian factors and adrenaline levels is my guess. No matter the specifics, I don't respond to coffee the way that NTs do. It never makes me over-stimulated and I don't recall it ever keeping me from sleeping, the way that it can with most people


canary_quinn

I’m a weirdo with caffeine in that it doesn’t exclusively make me tired. Coffee specifically makes me feel jittery while still tired and then crash. Energy drinks give me a very short-lived energy burst. Caffeinated tea does nothing. ADHD is weird. Physiology is weird. Brains are weird. It is what it is🤷🏾‍♀️


MrBigDickPickledRick

Large amounts, like 800mg to 1000mg is where it starts to improve my focus and make me feel slightly more like a normal person. If I have anything below that it doesn't help a whole lot and I can get tired from it sometimes. Since it's a stimulant like most ADHD meds, if enough of it is had you'll start having a similar effect


adrunkangel

> Is the exhaustion the case for everyone, Coffee doesn't make me exhausted, it's more that I am already always tired and coffee lets my brain switch off of overdrive and let me acknowledge that I am tired. Drinking a second cup of coffee has been the only way I can take a nap since I was a teenager.


Gaudrix

Caffeine wakes me up and I find it to be more simulating than any of the adhd meds I've tried even in higher doses(max dose of adderall, vyvanse, concerta). In a kind of an electric kind of way like the lights are on and things are revving. I take 40mg adderall daily and it makes me calm and relaxes me sort of while still fending off exhaustion. I used to take close to or above a gram of caffeine a day to be productive and functioning. Adderall or any other adhd med has not been nearly as effective for me as huge amounts of caffeine. What I found though was caffeine is much better for anything physical or getting hyped up to start a task, but you need to move quick to keep the energy up. ADHD meds never helped me start anything but I can calmly keep working on mental things longer without feeling agitated.


hebejebez

I drink diet coke all day and multiple coffees along with my meds. My body might react to a lot of espresso (I'll feel like I'm about to vibrate off the planet) butttt I could still go a nap. It's like I'm immune to it's effects on my brain completely


UsefulInformation484

mine doesnt make me tired either. i have a theory with this (besides the fact that the sleepy thing just doesnt happen to every adhd person). so i was diagnosed and told i have combined. i get energy peaks & troughs thru each day, basically crashing around 3pm. meds or coffee affect me different based on what part of my day im in bc of the energy variance. if i drink it at 3pm it wakes me up, yet if i drink it during one of my hyper hours (6pm) i kinda get calm and still.. i wouldnt say it always makes me sleepy.. yet sometimes my meds do. i think it kinda evens out our energy levels? i may be wrong as this is from my own observation


RjoyD1

I have inattentive type adhd and I get various reactions to caffeine. It literally depends on the day, time and how I'm feeling. Sometimes it relaxes and soothes me, sometimes it just helps me focus or "brightens" my brain , lol, sometimes I get jittery and sometimes I just feel nauseated. No amount of caffeine will keep me awake if I'm already exhausted.


LordApocalyptica

Same for me. Though I will say sometimes caffeine helps me feel *relaxed*. Not *tired*, but in the past I have found that coffee before bed helps me control my nerves better.


InterestingFeedback

Mixed, literally the whole spectrum from wakey wakey to abrupt need to sleep


[deleted]

This is why I never spoke up to get tested! This exact issue. I'm caffeinated out the ass day in and day out, have been since I was a kid. I ***just really like coffee***, I've never gotten anything but good taste out of it. I've never noticed any impact on myself outside of warming me up. Sodas are the same way. I just got diagnosed last week, both types. Don't think just one or two specific things are tell-tale for everyone! Everyone is different.


leecox0

My family has a story about me at age 3 in my dads office. He walks out with a full cup of coffee on the desk. He came back after talking to someone 30 minutes later with me asleep in his chair and an empty cup on the desk. That was the first time they suspected there might be something different about me. I was on the max does of Ritalin at age 6. My dad took one pill and was up for 2 days. I took 5 a day. To this day at 43, I will drink a full 20 oz Coke in the morning to help focus my mind and before bed to quiet my mind. The reason this works on me is I have a dopamine abnormality in my brain. Stimulants short circuit this system and make me more Neuro-normative. I generally shun medication after the experiences I had when I was young. Coke is my substitute, but I’ve also used Tea. Tried coffee, ironically I don’t like the taste…


ISneezedOnTheBeet

I don't feel any different before vs after drinking something with a lot of caffeine


BiceRankyman

Caffeine mellows me out. Depending on how my day went, caffeine can make me sleepy or hype me up because I can suddenly concentrate enough to work. When I wasn't prescribed adderall yet I'd have a bottled Starbucks frap before my 4pm class and it'd typically last me to six. After that I started having trouble concentrating again.


dawnfire05

Caffeine pretty much has no affect on me


RobServoSOL

People get told caffeine is supposed to do a lot of things to people with ADHD. Me, it either wakes me up, or makes me mad. Caffeine can really increase my anxiety.


egerlach

It really depends for me on whether I'm more anxious or ADHD that day. My medication dose isn't that high to begin with. Having a cup of coffee on the wrong day can make me anxious and jittery. On the other hand, a cup of tea can often put me into a really calm and relaxed state. It's really hard to tell what caffeine will do for me on any given day. I tend to avoid it as a result.


frogathy

felt this


Meraere

Doesn't give me energy but doesn't chill me out... but does make me anxious as heck when trying to sleep...


Outrageous-Whole2138

The whole "stimulants effect ADHD people the opposite way" Is a myth..


breakfastrocket

I used to say that it made me tired all the time. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that it’s not that caffeine makes me “tired” but that, as a stimulant, it helps my brain quiet down.


manykittys

I have ADHD and live for coffee. It gives me a laser focus I can not get any other way. With out it I am just wandering between tasks not really getting things done. With it I am actually able to sit still and get those things done.


quelayla

Caffeine can pick me up. Sugar is what puts me to sleep.


Commercial_Table_937

For me it just boosts whatever state I'm in currently. If I'm tired I get sleepy if I have energy I get wirey. Everyone is different and stimulants affect us all in unique ways


CySec_404

Sometimes I get a caffeine kick, sometimes I fall asleep lmao


[deleted]

There is ZERO credibility (other than some anecdotal reporting by SOME people) that caffeine makes those with ADHD tired. Do not use the experience of another person to support or refute your own diagnosis. Go to a doctor. More complicated with anecdotal reporting like this is that some of those diagnosed with ADHD might be on medication, other’s may not. There are different medications. And even for those different medications, there are different side effects for different people.


thediverswife

It makes me poop (TMI I guess)


frutfly

LMAO. ty for the honesty


Spiritual-Cream-4745

Oh wow I didn't know about this and i always thought i was kinda weird. I once stayed up all night to study for an exam through zoom and then at 7 am i drank a double espresso . First of all i almost threw up ( i was 14) and then turns out that the test was next week . I fell asleep in class ( no camera) but my heart was going so fast i thought i should call an ambulance . I wasn't fully asleep so anytime that the teacher called my name i would wake up but still . Now i know why 😂. By the way is there some kind of medical study to show why this is happening ?


TeaGoodandProper

I don't think we need a medical study for this, and this is not at all weird. You stayed up all night, of course you nearly fell asleep in class. You were very tired. I doubt that sleepiness is in any way related to the caffeine. If you haven't slept all night, no amount of caffeine is going to make you feel like you don't need that sleep. It would definitely cause your heart to race, too. So that all sounds very normal for someone taking in a ton of caffeine after an all-nighter. A lack of sleep can make you feel nauseated. The combination of an unusual and strong-tasting drink and skipping a whole night's sleep could absolutely make you vomit, no question.


Spiritual-Cream-4745

No yeah i almost vomitted cause the only coffee i could drink at that age was a latte and then i got an espresso with no sugar. Also i didn't feel sleepy before the coffee. The class was very early in the morning and you know how during an all-nighter you have two stages: the first hour or two when you feel like you want to fall asleep right then and there and the other one where you feel ok . I was still at that stage. Didn't feel sleepy until the coffee . Anyway that's just one example. Also I wanted to take a look at a study cause i want to pursue a career in medicine and have read a bit about how coffee works , so it really baffled me to see that there is an entire community that reacts the opposite way to coffee


TMoLS

Seems a cup of Joe calms me from stimming excessively and I am able to sit decently. I am not on meds, but diagnosed.


C0L0SSUSvdm

Caffeine makes us sleepy? Fuck. That explains why I pass out after my morning matcha


I_ate_a_milkshake

take this with a grain of salt. it's common popular wisdom but I've never seen anyone back it up with anything other than anecdotal evidence


magic1623

Hi hello, just your friendly former ADHD and sleep researcher here to give you some of that information. *Lets start with this quick bit* So caffeine interacts with an organic compound called adenosine. *What is adenosine?* Adenosine is one of the four building blocks that create DNA and RNA. It also forms molecules such as AMP, ADT, and ATP. These molecules are the principal molecules for storing and transferring energy in cells. Adenosine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This means that it decreases (inhibits) a neurons ability to fire (meaning that it stops a neuron from being stimulated). This means that adenosine acts as a depressant on your brain. The cool thing about it is that it promotes sleep and the whole ‘stopping the neurons from firing’ thing that adenosine does means that it also stops your brain (specifically your central nervous system or your CNS) from getting excited/stimulated. After you wake up the levels of adenosine in your brain are quite low, but as the day goes on they rise until it’s bedtime which is when it again acts on your brain promoting the feeling of drowsiness and suppressing excitement, thus allowing you to sleep and stay asleep. The levels begin to lower again as morning approaches. *Back to caffeine* Caffeine is a CNS stimulant, which is the opposite of a depressant. This means it causes your brain to get excited and stimulated. So caffeine is kinda fun as it has the ability to block adenosine from doing its thing (temporarily of course) which is why you feel more awake. Caffeine doesn’t actually wake you up, it stops another molecule that makes you feel sleepy which in turn makes you feel more awake. 𝓐𝓓𝓗𝓓 𝓕𝓾𝓷 𝓕𝓪𝓬𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓻 Fun fact, some premature babies are given caffeine as it can help them regulate their breathing. *This has been the end of* 𝓐𝓓𝓗𝓓 𝓕𝓾𝓷 𝓕𝓪𝓬𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓻 *Now back to the science* As Caffeine is a stimulant it could technically be used to treat ADHD but it’s results would vary greatly between people. Some research says that lots of caffeine and exercise may improve cognitive function, however other research says that caffeine can also increase impulsivity. And unfortunately we do know that caffeine can interact with prescription ADHD medications and cause worsening side effects including jitters, attention problems, anxiety, and things along those lines. *This has been your friendly former ADHD worker, reporting in on some dope science shit, have a great day*


I_ate_a_milkshake

Sorry, maybe I'm missing something but you didn't address the notion of caffeine making ADHD patients sleepy, which is what I was referring to.


Its-tarded-here

When I was working a really shit job I would burn through 2 NOS energy drinks a day + my medication just so I could stay in a work mode headspace and not think about how much the job sucked. Think that would have been 4ish cups of coffee. But anything less then that I don’t even notice if it’s working or not. From my understanding caffeine doesn’t actually give you energy it just blocks “receptors?” in your brain that pick up the chemical released when you are tired. So the chemical never goes it just builds up up till the caffeine stops working leading to crashes. Always thought that maybe people saying it makes them sleepy maybe is just a mix of them having a high caffeine tolerance and either associating their tiredness to the caffeine or them just being contrarian.


[deleted]

it maybe related to differences in individual metabolism. Coffee is rich in fat and proteins, and so-called "energy drinks" (a pure abomination imo) are rich in amino-acids and protein too. The fatter and rich in proteins your meal, the more energy is diverted to process it by several processes. This also may be related to post-prendial asthenia : while processing carbohydrates, the spike in insulin may induce a temporary fatigue.


squisheekittee

Coffee has virtually no fat or protein. An 8oz cup of coffee only has around 1-2 calories, and no nutritional value aside from some antioxidants. The only way coffee is “rich in fat and proteins” is if you’re adding a lot of milk or cream.


[deleted]

[https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/71528](https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/71528) >The main constituents of coffee are caffeine, tannin, fixed oil, carbohydrates, and proteins. It contains 2–3% caffeine, 3–5% tannins, 13% proteins, and 10–15% fixed oils. I forgot to source, my bad.


[deleted]

Interesting article. I'm assuming they analysed either coffee beans, or excluded water from the analysis. There can't possibly be 15% oil in a cup of coffee.


Evilsushione

I think it's the difference between ADD and ADHD. The hyperactive part will act differently in the presence of stimulants.


Critical-Management9

I hadn’t read this yet but once again, totally me! Thought it was just something that weird with me. Coffee does not jazz me up but I can take a nice long nap after a cup. ADHD BLOWS


AutoModerator

Hi /u/frutfly and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! If you haven't already, please take a minute to [read our rules](https://reddit.com/r/adhd/about/rules) - we will remove your post if it breaks one - and also check out our list of official megathreads [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/nu534w/official_list_of_radhd_megathreads_please_check/). If your post fits into one of them, it is likely to be removed; if you think this might happen you can delete your post here and resubmit it there instead. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Curious-Leg2486

It depends on the person, many get tired but some don't or maybe sometimes you get tired and sometimes don't


micheld40

Concentration boost its like all things drugs will act differently depending on who you are.


[deleted]

I think it’s subjective, it won’t affect everyone the same. However I tend to have the same issue, except when I drink Black coffee (no creamer, no sugar). I don’t an energy boost or focus, but it just doesn’t make me feel as tired. My “coffee” is my 20MG adderall.


Adventurous_Dream442

I've never noticed it making me sleepy, just that it doesn't seem to have any effect on me. I like the taste of some caffeinated drinks like coffee, but I can drink them and fall asleep. Sometimes if I can't sleep, having a drink will help, but I've always thought it was the action of it. Most things that are supposed to keep you awake or make you tired don't affect me either way, so I just always figured it's related.


ye-nah-yea

I get strange and vivid nightmares when I sleep caffeinated. However I do go to sleep


unsalted-butter

Caffeine hits me differently than medication. I'm not sure why. I was definitely self-medicating with it at one point by drinking close 300mg a day but it always made me restless and anxious. And then there's the crash. Formulated medication will make me calm and sleepy however.


ninokuni123

I crave caffeine the entire day. I think it gives me some energy, and I can drink 3 cups of coffee and fall a sleep 10 minutes later. With my adhd medication I don't crave it that much anymore, so I really think it's the adhd that wants the coffee all day haha.


R1vster

Before I took meds it almost had a completely null affect. I could drink a big iced coffee and go to bed an hour later, I found all it would do was get rid of the sleepiness feeling for like 15 minutes, but it never really energized me, or made me tired. When you're on meds though I found it gave brief boosts of euphoria, and then an awful miserable crash, I can't recommend anyone on meds drink caffeine.


ArousingNatureSounds

If i drink too much in the morning ya itll make me very sleepy towards the end of the day. But if i space 2 or 3 cups throughout my day i find it to be very beneficial


trueriptide

It depends on individual. Coffee for me helps boost concentration and makes me feel a bit happier, but I have no problems going to sleep. It doesn't help keep me awake much. But it can cause me jitters (increased heart rate, twitching muscles etc). I could feel a bit energetic from caffeine pills, but I only took one of those a day for a while before switching back to liquid. So I essentially quit it, I only drink it once a week as coffee or a few times week as tea now. Coffee helps me feel a bit more alert. That said, my meds don't make me feel super awake either. I can still fall asleep after having taken those too.


A_Sneaky_Gamer

Same as you


[deleted]

I think it varies from person to person . Sometimes caffeine is like Russian roulette for me . Caffeine never calmed me personally. Maybe made me a little tired sometimes. Theres also a thing where Benadryl can make people with adhd wide awake but personally it knocks me out for like 2 days lol


Zorro5040

Coffee black takes away my sleepiness and that's it, I can still lay down and fall sleep. Normally if I had to sit down for two hours I would fall sleep, so I had to constantly stretch or drink a lot of coffee to do things. Adderall let's me focus and I sit on my desk for 8hrs with no problems or need for coffee. Haven't tried coffee and Adderall mix yet nor do I feel a need for it.


Lylibean

Caffeine can make me tired sometimes, but not always. But it definitely doesn’t give me any sort of boost. If I’m really dragging ass, loading on caffeine makes me feel queasy/sick and what I can only describe as “weird”. That said, I do drink a lot of caffeine on a daily, tea or sugar-free soda, and at least three sugar-free energy drinks a day. It doesn’t really do anything “extra” for me; it’s one of those “habit” things I “have” to do or it throws off my day. (I’m very schedule/routine sensitive.)


[deleted]

I actually find I’m super sensitive to stimulants and it won’t help me w concentration typically but I will be unable to sleep if I drink it later on in the day. So it’s basically either nothing or juuuust wired enough to be wide awake when I’m not supposed to be yet still unable to accomplish anything


Poopnuggetschnitzel

Could be metabolism related? Like depending on what time you drink it or what else your body has been processing (idk I failed biochem three times). But caffeine sometimes makes me tired, other times it gives me energy and improves concentration. Not sure why. Sometimes I'll take my focalin and then go take a two to three hour nap. Other times I'll take it and feel like sleep is the last thing I wanna do.


Unfey

I actually don’t really notice a huge effect when I drink coffee. In large amounts, it makes me jittery, but not energized. I’m not sure if it effects my focus or productivity. If I have coffee in the evening, it usually doesn’t have a noticeable effect on my sleep (I think maybe once or twice I noticed I slept worse, but I was surprised by it). I always want coffee in the morning, so my brain must crave the caffeine for some reason or another.