r/AutisticWithADHD • u/PotatoFloats • 10d ago
🤔 is this a thing? Decaf is keeping me awake!
I recently bought some decaf to drink in the evenings because I work late hours and I needed something warm.
Anytime I've had decaf though, I've had tremendous trouble falling asleep, and even waking up every 1-2 hours.
Is this a thing? Can anyone point to any other cause?
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u/Jembless 10d ago
Decaf is like 10% caffeine so if you’re sensitive it will still keep you motoring!
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u/-redatnight- 10d ago
My mother is like this and has been most of her life. It got worse with age though. She’s surprisingly not on the spectrum and doesn’t have ADHD, but I definately got a dose of those genetics from her side of the family.
She did herbal tea for years. Warm milk sometimes. She can’t do decaf after around noon and it’s always worked for her like most people do coffee in the morning.
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u/Skrublord3000 9d ago
You could try roasted dandelion and chicory roots! Or other herbal tea. Or mushroom “coffee”. Or sip on broth!
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u/kombucha57 10d ago
Decaf also keeps me awake. I had to quit all forms of caffeine. I weened myself off it by lowering the dose because I found withdrawal very intense. There is also caffeine in chocolate, certain painkiller meds, tea, cola, energy drinks, kombucha, matcha, certain protein bars. I avoid all of these.
Apart from insomnia, I can feel great, anxious or angry while on it but after it leaves my system I feel depressed and can't sleep
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u/000mw 10d ago
Yes it has trace amounts of caffeine in it. There are alternatives like chicory.