7 ms·

Unexpected ways to wake up your brain

91 points by anishkothari 12y ago

IgorPartola 12y ago
Here's a trick I've been using: if you are driving and start feeling tired, hold your breath. Your brain will go into a bit of a panic mode: "Where's all the O2?!", and you will feel more awake for a short period of time. Do note, that this is a great trick to get you to the rest area 3 miles down the road, not a good way to drive all night long.
- GI_Josh 12y ago
  That's better than my old "increasingly harder slaps to the face" trick.
- pbhjpbhj 12y ago
  Yawning is designed to wake you up. Yawn's apparently provide a boost of O2. We yawn when we're tired because we're trying to stay awake/alert and yawning enables that; if someone yawns when you're talking then they're actually trying to concentrate - that's a good thing. I'm pretty good at fighting the panic response when holding my breath - lots of underwater swimming bravado as a child - at what point do you breath?!? Leave it too long and you'll just pass out at the wheel. I'd imagine for me this would be too distracting and make me more likely to crash. A research contender though.
  - IgorPartola 12y ago
    I imagine, just like everything else, it doesn't work the same way for everyone. I have tried several techniques of this personally, including filling my lungs and holding my breath, and exhaling completely and holding my breath. The latter works better for me. I have no special training but I can hold my breath for about a minute if my lungs are full. The problem there seems to be that it gets me even sleepier. However, if I exhale and hold my breath it only takes about 10-20 seconds and the response is very immediate and sharp. I should also note that I don't tend to pass out. Last time I came close to passing out, I was in a state where most people would have (blood pressure at 70/40). Perhaps this trick is not for you if you pass out easily.
  - eru 12y ago
    No evidence for the O2 boost for yawning. Actually, we don't really know what yawning is good for.
    - pbhjpbhj 12y ago
      When I mentioned it I knew I really should have looked for a citation first, it's something I heard on BBC Radio 4 (!), which is usually a good source for science/mathematics based information ... but you got me. The article I heard was primarily on empathetic aspects of yawning. Initially I was going to write "an O2 boost to the brain" but thinking about it I couldn't readily create a mechanism for that to happen - I'm terrible at human biology mind you - and so I reduced the claim in case I'd miss heard. Presumably to boost oxygen to the brain you'd need to increase blood flow (vasodilation or heart-rate) or increase oxygenation of the blood. Taking a very quick look at scholar.google.com there are citations supporting humans yawning when they have low blood oxygen; there's also papers saying that hypoxic patients increase blood oxygen levels through deep breathing. A yawn is like a single deep breath ... so perhaps?? But I'm not in a position to look further.
      - eru 12y ago
        People also yawn when they see other people (or even animals or pictures) yawn. It's complicated.
  - ebiester 12y ago
    It's meant to help you catch bugs and thus acquire protein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mq7UKQ3Jm4&t=45m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mq7UKQ3Jm4&t=45m (Yes, it's humor, but BAHfest is great at satirizing wild ass guesses that have become mistaken for legitimate hypotheses when we really don't have the evidence to say we know.)
- filoeleven 12y ago
  Neat, I hadn't heard of that one. Both of the tricks for staying awake and alert while driving that I have used involve discomfort: - If it's cold outside, roll down your window. - Find a radio station playing music you dislike and crank it up.
- ajcarpy2005 12y ago
  I have an additional hypothesis for why holding your breath might give you more cognitive energy for a period of time. It could be that the stomach compression and neck muscle tension that often accompanies holding your breath is raising the blood pressure in the head area and thereby increasing blood perfusion.
- SiVal 12y ago
  If you're alone in the car, try screaming. It creates an adrenaline rush. But I MUST add that none of these tricks will last for more than a couple of minutes, and after you do them a couple of times, they stop working. Sleepy drivers start "microsleeping", which means they fall asleep for a second or so then wake up without being aware that they did it. The microsleeps gradually get longer until you start noticing---or you die or kill someone else. Don't take sleepiness on the road lightly. You can use the screaming to get yourself safely to a parking place. If you are this sleepy, pull into a busy parking lot and go right to sleep for 15 minutes (set an alarm). You're unlikely to be bothered by anyone in the first 15 minutes in a very busy, public location. They'll assume you're waiting for someone.
  - jonah 12y ago
    Very true. To add to this - prefer busier, well-lighted places to quieter, darker places to stop and sleep.
- Argorak 12y ago
  15 Minutes sleep is a good one. Also, if you are alone, singing along with music.
- beagle3 12y ago
  The trick probably works, but the body doesn't actually have a "low-O2" detector, but rather a "high-CO2" detector. Most of the time, they are equivalent; however, if you have e.g. CO poisoning (thus, no CO2 buildup), you don't feel suffocating even though you're out of oxygen.
sebnukem2 12y ago
There's one thing that fully wakes me up every morning better than a dozen cups of coffee ever would: biking to work.
- JTon 12y ago
  I'm curious about the logistics behind this. Do you have an issues carrying items to work? Spare clothes, laptop, lunch, etc. Also, do you shower and change once you get to work?
  - codyb 12y ago
    A backpack solves all of those issues. None of that is necessarily very large. As for the shower, some work places have showers. Depending on how much you work out and what the climate is like you may or may not be a heavy sweater after a ride to work. People who work out often tend to sweat more because their bodies adapt to their routines and start to sweat at the slightest hint of physical exercise. People who don't work out extensively often tend to be more reserved when it comes to sweating. You are going to work, not a date. So it may not be an issue at all. I can't wait to get a bike next season and start biking to work.
    - Magi604 12y ago
      I used to cycle with a backpack, and it would always make my back sweaty, no matter the weather or the exertion I put into my ride. Then a couple of years ago I went on a bike tour, so I upgraded my bike and got some actual panniers to store stuff. The change was amazing! Not only can you carry more, but you also avoid the strain and sweatiness of having a backpack.
      - q845712 12y ago
        yes! i just have a milk-crate, but it makes all the difference. yes also to OP on the "bicycling to work wakes me up super well" - i did in a northern US city for 6 years, and the icy/cold months when i had to rely on transit instead were remarkably more challenging, especially the mornings, even if i kept up other indoor exercise.
bevan 12y ago
If you want to see some of the papers about sage's effect on cognition, I've added them here: http://paleoclaims.com/claims/sage-enhances-cognitive-performance http://paleoclaims.com/claims/sage-enhances-cognitive-perfor...
- tremendo 12y ago
  Or, IMO more clearly organized and presented information: http://examine.com/supplements/Salvia+sclarea/ http://examine.com/supplements/Salvia+sclarea/
drzaiusapelord 12y ago
Anyone else enjoy a very, very short nap? If I'm feeling sleepy I just find a spot to close my eyes for less than five minutes. Once a bit of hypnogogic imagery appears behind my eyelids, I quit, get up and go back to work. I get a few hours of wakefulness from doing just this.
- bevan 12y ago
  There is indeed some evidence that very short naps improve memory consolidation, cognitive performance, and mood: http://paleoclaims.com/claims/short-naps-improve-cognitive-performance http://paleoclaims.com/claims/short-naps-improve-cognitive-p...
Magi604 12y ago
Here's a trick I learned in college. Get something COLD (ice pack, a can of pop from the fridge, bag of ice. Even a swath of paper towels that have been run under a cold-running faucet for a while can do the trick Place it on your forehead, centered, just above your eyes. That always jolted me awake for a good 15-30 mins, though your mileage may vary. I am not sure of the science behind it, though I do remember reading it on some sort of lifehacker-type blog, so I didn't invent this.
- derefr 12y ago
  Probably the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex
staunch 12y ago
> In a test which involved pressing a button when I saw a light go on, my reaction times improved from an average of 650 milliseconds before the machine was turned on, to 550 milliseconds with it on. These findings are in line with results from other subjects. The average reaction time is 256 milliseconds on this web site: http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime
- Phlarp 12y ago
  I have no idea how the quoted test was formatted, but a twitch reaction when a subject is prepared for it within a short time-frame (10s like this website) will be much faster than a test where the subject rests or is made to focus on another task for longer periods between sampling. Also, It sounds like that particular sample was from a cohort of stroke victims, perhaps the stroke also affected their reaction times, or stroke victims represent a generally older demographic and have slower reaction times outright than the younger cohort a website might be measuring.
sjcsjc 12y ago
I used to drive a lot and and would regularly become extremely, and indeed dangerously, sleepy. I recall reading at the time that sleeping for around 12 minutes would relieve sleepiness, but that any more than that would actually make you more tired. After doing no research whatsoever, I put this into practice, and it worked, remarkably well. And it still does, 15 years later, though I drive a lot less now. I recommend it to anyone with the same problem. [edit] when I say it worked well, I mean that after that short sleep (using an alarm of course, without which I would have slept for hours), I could continue driving for several hours without feeling sleepy again.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
gadders 12y ago
Strange - doesn't mention Nicotine. I believe in patch or lozenge this has as much affect as caffeine [1]. Note that I'm not advocating smoking, just the nicotine itself. [1] http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix
- anotherevan 12y ago
  Recently listened to a Freakonomics podcast[1] about how to make people quit smoking. There were two related points that stuck with me. 1. Nicotine can have a lot of positive benefits. As one of their experts stated, “Good drug, bad delivery system.” 2. One of those benefits is a possible anti-depressant effect. So smoking may inadvertently be treating a person’s undiagnosed mental health issue[2], an additional difficulty when trying to quit smoking. This second point has made me a little more compassionate towards smokers, and to the difficulty of quitting. (As least in theory, still get annoyed when I can smell cigarette smoke on myself after a trip down to the shops because of some smoker on the sidewalk.) [1] http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/03/how-to-make-people-quit-smoking-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/03/how-to-make-people-quit-s... [2] NOT advocating this as an excuse to continue smoking. There are better treatments.
  - pbhjpbhj 12y ago
    If it's just about nicotine though one can use gum, patches, vaporisers - in fact I can't really see why anyone would smoke now, you can get the drug in a cleaner way more cheaply by vaping. It seems like choosing to chug anti-freeze when you've got high-class liquor available.
    - anotherevan 12y ago
      I don't think smoking, and trying to quit smoking, it just about the nicotine. That's just one aspect of the issue.
- aaxe 12y ago
  Oh, just 250+ citations on nicotine here: http://examine.com/supplements/Nicotine/ http://examine.com/supplements/Nicotine/
ilyaeck 12y ago
TL;DR "Overall, regular caffeine consumers who'd been without caffeine overnight, were slower on the reaction time task, were sleepier and were less mentally alert than non-users,"
- orand 12y ago
  Apparently it was too long; you didn't read the most interesting bits: sage and electric shock have a measurable impact on improved brain functioning.
- michael_h 12y ago
  "They did improve after they got a caffeine drink, but only up to the level the non-users had achieved without caffeine. When the non-users were given caffeine to drink their reaction times increased but they also became more jittery and anxious." Seems like an important part of the quote.
hyperion2010 12y ago
I've been off caffeine for 2+ years now, I always feel like I've been poisoned when I use it, jittery and completely unable to concentrate. Also interesting that they didn't mention any of the longer acting transporter blockers like methylphenidate or other "performance enhancing" drugs that have been widely reported to improve attention (the button pressing test is actually diagnostic for the action of these drugs).
- bbcbasic 12y ago
  Yes anyone else reading this who consumes any caffeine. Seriously ... give it up. Completely. It is a drug. I did it and I now sleep better, need less sleep, feel more awake in the morning, and save money. This is one of the best 'life hacks'
  - dllthomas 12y ago
    I've picked up and dropped a moderately sized caffeine habit at various points in my life. The biggest effect on me of being off caffeine is a reduction of my tolerance for caffeine when I have some next (smaller amount has bigger effect) and clearing out the addiction (can go days without caffeine without headache). I don't see appreciable changes in my quality of sleep (exercise does that!) or my ability to focus. I have every expectation this differs dramatically person to person, and I encourage anyone with any sort of habit to examine it, but what you say does not necessarily apply to everyone.
    - bbcbasic 12y ago
      True; YMMV.
    - pbhjpbhj 12y ago
      I have chronic and severe sleep issues - they're probably psychological but I've subscribed to a theory of being "non-24" for some time. I've sworn off caffeine twice in an effort to regulate my sleep better and neither time has it helped me in getting to sleep. What it does do is in the "morning" [ie when I wake] make me more alert, I'm not in caffeine withdrawal, I feel better. If you're going to try it then my advice is to ensure you still drink enough: substitute caffeine drinks with water for example. For me going cold-turkey it takes about 1 week for the severely painful headaches to stop and for me to be able to think clearly again. So far as I can determine caffeine has potential long term positive effects, doesn't have lasting negative effects. I slip back in to it because it's in the house and at times I have to use something to wake me up when I'm sleep deprived. It's pathological.
johnlbevan2 12y ago
Sage advice.
glxc 12y ago
Where do you find 10 people who don't drink coffee?
- dllthomas 12y ago
  BYU?
unclesaamm 12y ago
My dad's trick for beating jet lag is going swimming at the hotel where he lands. I have a hunch there's something about being in standing height or deeper water that triggers your body to stay awake (since you would otherwise drown)
- hoggle 12y ago
  Interesting, I like to go swimming midday or evening and it helps me "reboot" as well. After about 30 minutes of medium to high intensity breaststroke I often feel better than when I got out of bed that morning.
Energy1 12y ago
How about a Tabasco shot and/or a little sniff of Nose Tork?

91 points by anishkothari 12y ago

Here's a trick I've been using: if you are driving and start feeling tired, hold your breath. Your brain will go into a bit of a panic mode: "Where's all the O2?!", and you will feel more awake for a short period of time. Do note, that this is a great trick to get you to the rest area 3 miles down the road, not a good way to drive all night long.

GI_Josh 12y ago
That's better than my old "increasingly harder slaps to the face" trick.
pbhjpbhj 12y ago
Yawning is designed to wake you up. Yawn's apparently provide a boost of O2. We yawn when we're tired because we're trying to stay awake/alert and yawning enables that; if someone yawns when you're talking then they're actually trying to concentrate - that's a good thing. I'm pretty good at fighting the panic response when holding my breath - lots of underwater swimming bravado as a child - at what point do you breath?!? Leave it too long and you'll just pass out at the wheel. I'd imagine for me this would be too distracting and make me more likely to crash. A research contender though.
- IgorPartola 12y ago
  I imagine, just like everything else, it doesn't work the same way for everyone. I have tried several techniques of this personally, including filling my lungs and holding my breath, and exhaling completely and holding my breath. The latter works better for me. I have no special training but I can hold my breath for about a minute if my lungs are full. The problem there seems to be that it gets me even sleepier. However, if I exhale and hold my breath it only takes about 10-20 seconds and the response is very immediate and sharp. I should also note that I don't tend to pass out. Last time I came close to passing out, I was in a state where most people would have (blood pressure at 70/40). Perhaps this trick is not for you if you pass out easily.
- eru 12y ago
  No evidence for the O2 boost for yawning. Actually, we don't really know what yawning is good for.
  - pbhjpbhj 12y ago
    When I mentioned it I knew I really should have looked for a citation first, it's something I heard on BBC Radio 4 (!), which is usually a good source for science/mathematics based information ... but you got me. The article I heard was primarily on empathetic aspects of yawning. Initially I was going to write "an O2 boost to the brain" but thinking about it I couldn't readily create a mechanism for that to happen - I'm terrible at human biology mind you - and so I reduced the claim in case I'd miss heard. Presumably to boost oxygen to the brain you'd need to increase blood flow (vasodilation or heart-rate) or increase oxygenation of the blood. Taking a very quick look at scholar.google.com there are citations supporting humans yawning when they have low blood oxygen; there's also papers saying that hypoxic patients increase blood oxygen levels through deep breathing. A yawn is like a single deep breath ... so perhaps?? But I'm not in a position to look further.
    - eru 12y ago
      People also yawn when they see other people (or even animals or pictures) yawn. It's complicated.
- ebiester 12y ago
  It's meant to help you catch bugs and thus acquire protein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mq7UKQ3Jm4&t=45m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mq7UKQ3Jm4&t=45m (Yes, it's humor, but BAHfest is great at satirizing wild ass guesses that have become mistaken for legitimate hypotheses when we really don't have the evidence to say we know.)
filoeleven 12y ago
Neat, I hadn't heard of that one. Both of the tricks for staying awake and alert while driving that I have used involve discomfort: - If it's cold outside, roll down your window. - Find a radio station playing music you dislike and crank it up.
ajcarpy2005 12y ago
I have an additional hypothesis for why holding your breath might give you more cognitive energy for a period of time. It could be that the stomach compression and neck muscle tension that often accompanies holding your breath is raising the blood pressure in the head area and thereby increasing blood perfusion.
SiVal 12y ago
If you're alone in the car, try screaming. It creates an adrenaline rush. But I MUST add that none of these tricks will last for more than a couple of minutes, and after you do them a couple of times, they stop working. Sleepy drivers start "microsleeping", which means they fall asleep for a second or so then wake up without being aware that they did it. The microsleeps gradually get longer until you start noticing---or you die or kill someone else. Don't take sleepiness on the road lightly. You can use the screaming to get yourself safely to a parking place. If you are this sleepy, pull into a busy parking lot and go right to sleep for 15 minutes (set an alarm). You're unlikely to be bothered by anyone in the first 15 minutes in a very busy, public location. They'll assume you're waiting for someone.
- jonah 12y ago
  Very true. To add to this - prefer busier, well-lighted places to quieter, darker places to stop and sleep.
Argorak 12y ago
15 Minutes sleep is a good one. Also, if you are alone, singing along with music.
beagle3 12y ago
The trick probably works, but the body doesn't actually have a "low-O2" detector, but rather a "high-CO2" detector. Most of the time, they are equivalent; however, if you have e.g. CO poisoning (thus, no CO2 buildup), you don't feel suffocating even though you're out of oxygen.

sebnukem2 12y ago

There's one thing that fully wakes me up every morning better than a dozen cups of coffee ever would: biking to work.

JTon 12y ago
I'm curious about the logistics behind this. Do you have an issues carrying items to work? Spare clothes, laptop, lunch, etc. Also, do you shower and change once you get to work?
- codyb 12y ago
  A backpack solves all of those issues. None of that is necessarily very large. As for the shower, some work places have showers. Depending on how much you work out and what the climate is like you may or may not be a heavy sweater after a ride to work. People who work out often tend to sweat more because their bodies adapt to their routines and start to sweat at the slightest hint of physical exercise. People who don't work out extensively often tend to be more reserved when it comes to sweating. You are going to work, not a date. So it may not be an issue at all. I can't wait to get a bike next season and start biking to work.
  - Magi604 12y ago
    I used to cycle with a backpack, and it would always make my back sweaty, no matter the weather or the exertion I put into my ride. Then a couple of years ago I went on a bike tour, so I upgraded my bike and got some actual panniers to store stuff. The change was amazing! Not only can you carry more, but you also avoid the strain and sweatiness of having a backpack.
    - q845712 12y ago
      yes! i just have a milk-crate, but it makes all the difference. yes also to OP on the "bicycling to work wakes me up super well" - i did in a northern US city for 6 years, and the icy/cold months when i had to rely on transit instead were remarkably more challenging, especially the mornings, even if i kept up other indoor exercise.

bevan 12y ago

If you want to see some of the papers about sage's effect on cognition, I've added them here: http://paleoclaims.com/claims/sage-enhances-cognitive-performance http://paleoclaims.com/claims/sage-enhances-cognitive-perfor...

tremendo 12y ago
Or, IMO more clearly organized and presented information: http://examine.com/supplements/Salvia+sclarea/ http://examine.com/supplements/Salvia+sclarea/

drzaiusapelord 12y ago

Anyone else enjoy a very, very short nap? If I'm feeling sleepy I just find a spot to close my eyes for less than five minutes. Once a bit of hypnogogic imagery appears behind my eyelids, I quit, get up and go back to work. I get a few hours of wakefulness from doing just this.

bevan 12y ago
There is indeed some evidence that very short naps improve memory consolidation, cognitive performance, and mood: http://paleoclaims.com/claims/short-naps-improve-cognitive-performance http://paleoclaims.com/claims/short-naps-improve-cognitive-p...

Magi604 12y ago

Here's a trick I learned in college. Get something COLD (ice pack, a can of pop from the fridge, bag of ice. Even a swath of paper towels that have been run under a cold-running faucet for a while can do the trick Place it on your forehead, centered, just above your eyes. That always jolted me awake for a good 15-30 mins, though your mileage may vary. I am not sure of the science behind it, though I do remember reading it on some sort of lifehacker-type blog, so I didn't invent this.

derefr 12y ago
Probably the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex

staunch 12y ago

> In a test which involved pressing a button when I saw a light go on, my reaction times improved from an average of 650 milliseconds before the machine was turned on, to 550 milliseconds with it on. These findings are in line with results from other subjects. The average reaction time is 256 milliseconds on this web site: http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime

Phlarp 12y ago
I have no idea how the quoted test was formatted, but a twitch reaction when a subject is prepared for it within a short time-frame (10s like this website) will be much faster than a test where the subject rests or is made to focus on another task for longer periods between sampling. Also, It sounds like that particular sample was from a cohort of stroke victims, perhaps the stroke also affected their reaction times, or stroke victims represent a generally older demographic and have slower reaction times outright than the younger cohort a website might be measuring.

sjcsjc 12y ago

I used to drive a lot and and would regularly become extremely, and indeed dangerously, sleepy. I recall reading at the time that sleeping for around 12 minutes would relieve sleepiness, but that any more than that would actually make you more tired. After doing no research whatsoever, I put this into practice, and it worked, remarkably well. And it still does, 15 years later, though I drive a lot less now. I recommend it to anyone with the same problem. [edit] when I say it worked well, I mean that after that short sleep (using an alarm of course, without which I would have slept for hours), I could continue driving for several hours without feeling sleepy again.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

gadders 12y ago

Strange - doesn't mention Nicotine. I believe in patch or lozenge this has as much affect as caffeine [1]. Note that I'm not advocating smoking, just the nicotine itself. [1] http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix

anotherevan 12y ago
Recently listened to a Freakonomics podcast[1] about how to make people quit smoking. There were two related points that stuck with me. 1. Nicotine can have a lot of positive benefits. As one of their experts stated, “Good drug, bad delivery system.” 2. One of those benefits is a possible anti-depressant effect. So smoking may inadvertently be treating a person’s undiagnosed mental health issue[2], an additional difficulty when trying to quit smoking. This second point has made me a little more compassionate towards smokers, and to the difficulty of quitting. (As least in theory, still get annoyed when I can smell cigarette smoke on myself after a trip down to the shops because of some smoker on the sidewalk.) [1] http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/03/how-to-make-people-quit-smoking-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/03/how-to-make-people-quit-s... [2] NOT advocating this as an excuse to continue smoking. There are better treatments.
- pbhjpbhj 12y ago
  If it's just about nicotine though one can use gum, patches, vaporisers - in fact I can't really see why anyone would smoke now, you can get the drug in a cleaner way more cheaply by vaping. It seems like choosing to chug anti-freeze when you've got high-class liquor available.
  - anotherevan 12y ago
    I don't think smoking, and trying to quit smoking, it just about the nicotine. That's just one aspect of the issue.
aaxe 12y ago
Oh, just 250+ citations on nicotine here: http://examine.com/supplements/Nicotine/ http://examine.com/supplements/Nicotine/

ilyaeck 12y ago

TL;DR "Overall, regular caffeine consumers who'd been without caffeine overnight, were slower on the reaction time task, were sleepier and were less mentally alert than non-users,"

orand 12y ago
Apparently it was too long; you didn't read the most interesting bits: sage and electric shock have a measurable impact on improved brain functioning.
michael_h 12y ago
"They did improve after they got a caffeine drink, but only up to the level the non-users had achieved without caffeine. When the non-users were given caffeine to drink their reaction times increased but they also became more jittery and anxious." Seems like an important part of the quote.

hyperion2010 12y ago

I've been off caffeine for 2+ years now, I always feel like I've been poisoned when I use it, jittery and completely unable to concentrate. Also interesting that they didn't mention any of the longer acting transporter blockers like methylphenidate or other "performance enhancing" drugs that have been widely reported to improve attention (the button pressing test is actually diagnostic for the action of these drugs).

bbcbasic 12y ago
Yes anyone else reading this who consumes any caffeine. Seriously ... give it up. Completely. It is a drug. I did it and I now sleep better, need less sleep, feel more awake in the morning, and save money. This is one of the best 'life hacks'
- dllthomas 12y ago
  I've picked up and dropped a moderately sized caffeine habit at various points in my life. The biggest effect on me of being off caffeine is a reduction of my tolerance for caffeine when I have some next (smaller amount has bigger effect) and clearing out the addiction (can go days without caffeine without headache). I don't see appreciable changes in my quality of sleep (exercise does that!) or my ability to focus. I have every expectation this differs dramatically person to person, and I encourage anyone with any sort of habit to examine it, but what you say does not necessarily apply to everyone.
  - bbcbasic 12y ago
    True; YMMV.
  - pbhjpbhj 12y ago
    I have chronic and severe sleep issues - they're probably psychological but I've subscribed to a theory of being "non-24" for some time. I've sworn off caffeine twice in an effort to regulate my sleep better and neither time has it helped me in getting to sleep. What it does do is in the "morning" [ie when I wake] make me more alert, I'm not in caffeine withdrawal, I feel better. If you're going to try it then my advice is to ensure you still drink enough: substitute caffeine drinks with water for example. For me going cold-turkey it takes about 1 week for the severely painful headaches to stop and for me to be able to think clearly again. So far as I can determine caffeine has potential long term positive effects, doesn't have lasting negative effects. I slip back in to it because it's in the house and at times I have to use something to wake me up when I'm sleep deprived. It's pathological.

johnlbevan2 12y ago

Sage advice.

glxc 12y ago

Where do you find 10 people who don't drink coffee?

dllthomas 12y ago
BYU?

unclesaamm 12y ago

My dad's trick for beating jet lag is going swimming at the hotel where he lands. I have a hunch there's something about being in standing height or deeper water that triggers your body to stay awake (since you would otherwise drown)

hoggle 12y ago
Interesting, I like to go swimming midday or evening and it helps me "reboot" as well. After about 30 minutes of medium to high intensity breaststroke I often feel better than when I got out of bed that morning.

Energy1 12y ago

How about a Tabasco shot and/or a little sniff of Nose Tork?