A lot of us suffer from the so called caffeine craving. Did you ever wonder how to escape it?

Caffeine is a psychoactive substance, meaning to say, it can affect our state of mind and mental processes. Caffeine also has the capacity to disrupt your sleeping patterns, making you sleep less. This stimulant is considered to be the most commonly ingested psychoactive substance on earth. People use it on a daily basis. It is estimated that in the United States alone, 90% of all Americans consume it on a daily basis. Also it seems that a lot “suffer” from caffeine craving.

Coffee is one of the best sources of caffeine and according to statistics roughly 400 billion cups are consumed annually worldwide. The intake of caffeine is pretty common for those who work on night-shifts. This is to keep them awake and to make them alert. The downfall is this behavior will disrupt their sleeping program. Thus, the following morning you complain of not getting enough or quality sleep and you drink more coffee to make it through the day and then it goes on in a vicious cycle. In the process, you are making the consumption of coffee as an addiction. Without drinking it you feel weak, drained of energy and you can’t seem to be able to focus on your activities.

It’s not just through coffee that we get our dose of caffeine. We ingest this substance daily without even knowing it, probably because we are too busy to notice.

We should all bear in mind that caffeine is also present in significant quantities in sodas/beverages (NOT only cola drinks), chocolate, tea, some drugs (pain relievers, cold remedies, diuretics) etc.

While there are negative effects of caffeine, there’s also a positive side of it. If taken in moderate dosage (about 250 milligrams per day), it can increase mental awareness and reduce fatigue. Coffee and tea are also good source for antioxidants which will aid in cleaning your body and even preventing cancer. If you are however hooked by grabbing a cup of coffee every day (700-800 milligrams or above per day is considered excessive intake of caffeine) you might want to think of its adverse effects, like: sleep problems, increased heart rate, anxiety, excessive loss of fluids, nervousness, tremors etc. Remember, moderation is always best. So, we might wonder how we can stop the craving for caffeine!!!

The best solution to escape caffeine craving, especially if you are a “heavy duty” consumer of caffeine, is to try to gradually reduce the intake. It is not recommended to completely stop the intake because this might lead to problems like headaches, irritability, drowsiness and other problems.

There are some easy solutions that can help you escape caffeine craving.

Here are some examples: drink one instead of 3 cups of coffee per day, try decaffeinated (the same taste of coffee but no caffeine), drink lot of water or fruit juice or start chewing bubble gum when the craving starts, try to get enough and quality sleep at night (respecting the normal sleep program is crucial when trying to reduce caffeine intake).

If possible, remove all traces of caffeine in the office. Get rid of chocolate or energy drinks on your table. Try to avoid passing near coffee shops when going to the office or when leaving because the smell can be a very powerful stimulant.

Admitting that you have an addiction for coffee, caffeine craving included, should also be part of the list because unless you admit that you are hooked to something then you won’t start working on withdrawing from it. Get informed as to what are the effects of coffee on you. The more you are aware of the danger it brings, the more you will likely stay away from it. Lastly, you should also set a reward for yourself so that you feel motivated to really quit it.

Just like everything else, caffeine has its cons and pros; however most of us just get hooked with this substance and instead of just enjoying its benefits, we spiral to its side-effects. Everything should be taken in moderation but if you feel that you’ll easily get hooked with something then you might as well stay away from it.

Additional information: check out these links if you want to learn more about high protein diet, anti anxiety medication or stress symptoms.

So, you see that there are a lot of solutions that can help you escape caffeine craving, just plan you progress and stay motivated.