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Study: Small Doses of Caffeine Best to Stay Awake

Ralph writes "This study concludes that smaller doses of caffeine throughout the day are more effective in keeping awake for long hours, rather than the traditional morning mug of coffee. However, in many cases, myself included, the problem isn't staying awake for long hours, but rather using uptime efficiently. Any known cures for the "laziness disorder" out there?"

12 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Small doses, eh? by grungefade · · Score: 1, Interesting

    what i do is, just take 1/4 of a nodoze (50 mg). And i end up taking about 2 - 3 a day, throughout the day. I found this to be way better than drinking coffee. Its something about getting all the caffeine at once that works a lot better than coffee. Even though a full pill is supposed to be equal to one cup of coffee (200 mg). I only take 1/4 and feel more than i do from coffee. I stopped taking a full one every day because i couldnt stop feeling cracked out.

  2. Re:If it was just 'found' today by norton_I · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have been addicted to caffeine and quit several times. There are withdrawl symtoms, but they really aren't that bad. Increased irritability and minor headaches, mostly. People who make a big deal of it suffer from another "disease" where they think it makes them cool to whine about how bad their withdrawl symptoms are.

    Also, it is not that addictive. I have never had a problem quitting. It is true that I have always started again, eventually (typically a copuple months later), but I think that is just because I am weak willed.

  3. Get rid of caffeine by Stevyn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Instead of being hooked on caffeine throughout the day, you should cut it out of your diet. Humans have existed for thousands of years without caffeine so why does everyone think it's nessesary to function? You want to stay awake? Relax and go to sleep. Yeah, I know, easier said than done. But then tell me how taking stimulants throughout the day is going to help you relax?

  4. Re:Innovative and radical, I know, but... by craXORjack · · Score: 2, Interesting
    If you are tired, sleep.

    I would but I need the paycheck.

    Dear God, why doesn't someone do a useful study and figure out why I struggle to keep my eyes open all day at work but the moment I am home I feel wide awake!

    --
    Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
  5. Re:Small doses, eh? by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 2, Interesting


    Also, the caffeine in tea is a different isomer than the caffeine in coffee (and both are different from the caffeine in chocolate).

    The caffeine in coffee tends to have a greater physiological effect than in the other forms of ingestion.

    --
    There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
  6. Re:Slashdot isn't it by bergeron76 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've found that the best way to get over laziness is to set a goal for myself for the next day. I do this when I go to bed at night and when the day arrives, I just feel more motivated. I've also found that the less sleep I get, the more motivated I am. If I wake up at 11AM on a Saturday, I'll just kind of slough around the house (thinking about doing all kinds of stuff, but not actually doing it). However, if I get up early, I seem to have much more energy (when I do finally get going) and get a lot more done in the day (I don't mean relatively; my premise is based on days with equal # of awake hours).

    I have a theory that all of this "extra" energy could be of consequence later in life (shorter lifespan maybe?), but I have no way to quantify something like that; so I won't speculate.

    I'm just pointing out my own first hand experiences - as always, YMMV.

    --
    Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world. It's the only thing that ever has.
  7. Re:If it was just 'found' today by Monkelectric · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I am caffeine sensitive, in the same way that an alcoholic is "alcohol sensitive". The worst time was probably 10 years ago when I was in high school... It just creeps up on you until you're drinking it all the time ... I basically couldn't stay awake for more then an hour without caffeine, finally I decided I had to quit, went cold turkey, and slept 17 hours. The next day, 14 hours, then 12 ... It took almost 6 months for me to really feel "awake" during the day.

    If I need to stay up now I try to eat pepperocini's, the flush feeling from chewing the seeds will keep you up and alert for about 30 minutes and is alot more gentle on your body. They got me through college anyways :)

    I'm not saying caffeine should be illegal, but it is a powerfull drug. I think the fact that its legal highlights the hypocrisy of US drug laws.

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

  8. Re:energy and motivation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Cocaine would not be a good choice for what should be obvious reasons. Ritalin or some other amphetamine derivative would probably be a good choice here. Adrafinil/Modafinil might be better depending on how you react to them.

  9. Re:If it was just 'found' today by duggy_92127 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    People who make a big deal of it suffer from another "disease" where they think it makes them cool to whine about how bad their withdrawl symptoms are.

    With all due respect, fuck you. It all depends on physiology and the amount that you used to ingest. Maybe you were used to a few cups of coffee a day, and your body handled the lack well; I was drinking something like two 2-liters a day, and when I stopped cold turkey, I was quite fucked up for about four days. Horrible headaches, complete exhaustion, even trembles.

    The rest of us would appreciate you not judging us based solely on your own experience. Thank you.

    Doug

  10. Re:Marijuana. by slithytove · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't know of any states with laws draconian enough to send you to prison for any term, much less 10 years for posession of a personal-ish quantity. In some states you might wind up in jail for a few days (I did), but most counties give you a ticket as though you were speeding, which I'd say is the moral equivalent. Actually you might cause an accident by speeding...
    And, to second the grandparent post- I find that small quantities are very helpful in quieting my anxiety and distaste in doing things I'd rather not, like laundry, dishes, etc. I find it somewhat difficult to code while stoned, though not impossible.

  11. Re:Innovative and radical, I know, but... by Strange+Ranger · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hey there is no such thing as a "correct" internal clock. And it certainly doesn't help that we still live by an agrarian schedule even though none of us are agrarian workers. Don't believe it? Then explain why if you arrive late it's a HUGE deal, but if you stay late no one cares at all. We still live by the agrarian clock and we still live by agrarian prejudices that place your internal clock (and mine) at the bottom of the abused minority list. Ben Franklin is a total asshole for coining that self fulfulling quote of his - "early to be and early to rise..." With the stroke of his pen he turned NON-morning people into second class citizens.

    Anyway, you'll NEVER "fix" your clock, because there's nothing wrong with it. The problem is with something I'm overly fond of calling "Circadian Discrimination". You're a gay mulato Muslim? NO problem! As long as you're a morning person.

    All you can do is work around it. Either by using sleep and wake techniques or by changing your schedule. You can make the early schedule Tolerable, or you can try to arrange an Enjoyable later schedule.

    The other thing that helps tremendously is a job that doesn't bore you to death.

    --

    Operator, give me the number for 911!
  12. Re:Small doses, eh? by PCM2 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Gene splicing a frog gene into a potato cannot be compared to the old ways of selective cross-breeding.
    Yes, the old "Frankenfoods" argument. And yet, the vast majority of GM crops were produced not by careful, Photoshop-style cutting and pasting of genes but by either A.) irradiation, or B.) chemicals designed to speed up the process of cellular division and mutation. In other words, scientists pretty much accelerate the ordinary processes of nature, and any beneficial mutations come up are flukes -- but ones that could probably have occurred anyway.
    --
    Breakfast served all day!