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Study: Small Doses of Caffeine Best to Stay Awake

Posted by timothy on from the iv-drip dept.

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?"

13 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot isn't it by ni4882 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, my guess is that slashdot is not the best cure for "laziness disorder".

    1. 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.
  2. Small doses, eh? by Ianoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wonder what the best way to get these small doses might be. Perhaps snorting a line of coffee granules every few hours?

    1. Re:Small doses, eh? by Carnildo · · Score: 4, Funny

      I wonder what the best way to get these small doses might be. Perhaps snorting a line of coffee granules every few hours?

      IV drip.

      --
      "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
    2. Re:Small doses, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Use of saccharin in this product may be hazardous to your health. This ingredient has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."

      The NIH did a study on the effect of saccharin use in humans. It determined that it does not cause bladder cancer (the only type observed) if used in moderate doses and for people who used it in very excessive doses, it only slightly raised their risk (this is why Congress removed the label 'use of this product may be hazardous to your health' in 2000. It does cause cancer in lab rats due to a different mechanism (different receptors and enzymes) that does not apply to humans. The benefits to your oral health that saccharin gives greatly outweighs any uncertainty about it causing cancer in lab rats or being 'certified to cause cancer in the state of California'.

      Saccharin is just another food product that has been irrationally rejected by the masses due to unfounded potential risks. Just like irradiated food (which can be preserved for a long time without use of preservatives--which are in many cases harmful to your health) and GM crops.

    3. Re:Small doses, eh? by Tukla · · Score: 5, Funny
      "we investigated the effects of blindly administered intravenous caffeine"

      I read this and then spent several seconds trying to figure out how you could give someone an IV without them knowing it.

      I must need a Coke.

  3. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ask your girlfriend not to have sex w/ you unless you can prove you took a few major items off your todo list.

    --
    [o]_O
  4. If it was just 'found' today by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    If caffeine was just discovered today, it would be illegal to use in the USA.
    It would be a Schedule 1 drug, right next to heroin, cocaine, pot, and peyote.

    It satisfies the requirements of addiction, acute withdrawal, and abnormal body functions while partaking of it, along with long-term physiological affects.
    When you say you need your fix, you are closer to the truth than you think!



    Note-I don't necessarily agree with the above, but that's the way it is.

    1. Re:If it was just 'found' today by slithytove · · Score: 4, Insightful

      First of all, as some other responders have said- people's physiology varies, I know people who have suffered serious headaches when trying to quit drinking coffee; people who didn't whine and certainly don't think it "makes them cool" to.
      Secondly, the parent post was pointing out the hypocricy of US drug laws, and they're quite right- marijuana, for one, isn't nearly as addictive and withdraw, even for a very heavy smoker, is typically not bad at all. Also, a vast majority of people who have at some point smoked pot regularly quit by their thirties. Can coffee drinkers say the same?

  5. Here's a good solution: by stienman · · Score: 4, Funny


    hostinfo
    ...
    slashdot.org 127.0.0.1
    ...
    -Adam

  6. Rx: "laziness disorder" by hey! · · Score: 4, Informative

    (1) Adequate sleep.

    (2) Daily exercise.

    (3) Sound nutrition.

    My personal experience: I'm a total coffee fiend. But since I've followed the above guidelines, I don't go through withdrawal when I skip a day and I don't have mid afternoon sleepiness.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  7. "Lazyness" is NORMAL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When I left Uni and moved into the 'workforce', I often wondered why I found it so hard to actually do work. I mean, I did it, because I had to, but I really just felt so 'blah' about it all the time.

    I hadn't felt that way at Uni that I could remember and I really just couldn't place my finger on why I felt like that.

    Anyway, long story short, I left paid employment a year ago to go freelance, and it didn't take long for me to realise why I was feeling so lazy before. Put simply, it just takes me a while to get rolling, perhaps 6, 7, 8 hours between the time I get up and the time when I am ready to work. Once I'm ready then I am quite happy to work 10 hours straight without so much as a snack (provided the diet coke is close at hand of course).

    I learnt that trying to work before I was in the mood is simply counter productive, I'll be easily distracted, I'll be grumpy and I'll probably get frustrated. But if I just relax and be lazy for a few hours then I'll soon be ready to code all night.

    I had a similar philosophy when it came to studying at Uni (and school), if I wasn't in the mood for it then there was no point even trying because I wouldn't be able to concentrate so my time was better spent on other things until I felt like studying.

    My point is that lazyness is perfectly normal, everybody feels lazy sometimes, some more than others. If at all possible you should simply accept that you are feeling lazy and do -- precisely whatever you want to do; when you're ready to work you will.

    Of course if your stuck in the 9-5 corporate world then you're screwed - your employers won't understand that you would be far more productive if you could choose your own hours.

  8. Not caffiene, but B12 by BryanForbes · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have found that vitamin B12 is a better solution to keeping me awake. Not only does it keep you awake, but it keeps you alert as well. There have been numerous studies showing that B12 is good for keeping you alert. In fact, any good (read: not Red Bull or Rock Star, which are basically just sugar and caffiene, which will leave you in a blood sugar drop a few hours after you drink them) energy drink will have a high ammount of B12 in it.