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Do you ever lie in bed and ask yourself “why can’t I sleep?" After much research and deliberation I finally stumbled across an answer. Which is… I’m cutting down on my addiction! I have decided to cut down on my use of a recreational drug. It certainly makes sense from a health point of view. I know people who got the shakes when they used it, but I was never that great a user. It did affect me at night and that meant that in the morning I needed my fix straight away. I never dabbled with the cheap stuff, mind you, that’s a habit I picked up from the Continent. I always go for the top quality stuff. Some people say the cheap stuff is OK – that you get the same kick. But I can tell. And once you had had the top quality merchandise you would probably be able to tell too. I bought all the equipment possible as well. I needed everything to be just right! So I’d choose a quiet time when I was alone and wouldn’t be disturbed, then I would indulge in a cup of coffee! Caffeine, the pick me up drug you find in coffee, is the most used drug in the Western World. It is freely and widely available, requiring no prescription. The average person drinks at least two cups of coffee or tea a day. Some drink as many as 20! Coffee contains around 90mg of caffeine if instant, or 200mg for filter. Tea contains about 40 to 100mg depending on how strong you like it. Cola can contain between 40 to 65mg. The scary thing is that caffeine can be addictive and is even lethal in large doses. But we are talking over 80 cups here for a healthy adult. According to Wikipedia, the consumption of high amounts of caffeine, usually more than 250 mg per day, can lead to a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions. These can include nervousness, irritability, restlessness, constant tiredness, insomnia, headaches and heart palpitations. The aim of this article is not to put you off drinking coffee. Like everything in life, coffee should be used in moderation. I have lived off coffee once before and I certainly had some of the above symptoms. My main problem was insomnia. Upon discovering the adverse effects that too much caffeine can I have on my body, I decided to implement a caffeine curfew. Basically, caffeine is a stimulant that lasts for a few hours in the body. The last thing you need for a good night’s sleep is a stimulant tearing about in your body, so that’s why we should apply a caffeine curfew. Six hours before you go to bed knock the caffeine on the head (I’m a poet and I didn’t know it!). No coffee, tea, cola etc. Six hours is an average time as some people process caffeine quicker than others, some slower. Change the time to suit you. Since applying the caffeine curfew I get the best of both worlds; a good night’s sleep and I still get to drink my coffee. The difference is that it is now a relaxing part of my day, not what I use to get through my day. What’s more, I never have to wonder “why can’t I sleep” anymore! So, try applying the caffeine curfew you should start to see, and feel, the results! Lol (Laurence) Cohen is the founder and guiding light of the Picture of Health Clubs. His dedication to change his life for the better, combined with a study of the human physiology and stretching, have made him perfectly placed to promote the Picture of Health Clubs message to unwind body and mind. For more information about exercises for seniors, please visit thePicture of Health Clubs blog. Alternatively, check out the book here
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