I Quit Coffee for 30 Days (and it ruined my life) 

I'm a 21 year old student that never drank a coffee or energy drink. All my friends think this is insane. But for me Water is just fine.

My friend was very addicted to coffee. He didn't go cold turkey because it made him feel absolutely terrible. After 1 month he was off coffee, but he still felt terrible. After 3-4 months he said he finally felt normal. He no longer drinks coffee, but it wasn't an easy experience. I just add this story in case there is someone who is trying to push through and quit. Everyone has their own reasons to quit or to use in better moderation but hope this story can provide a helpful perspective for someone.

I know this topic is all over the internet right now, but I do think it’s worth mentioning that ADHD can affect sleep, and that many undiagnosed people use coffee/caffeine as a way of medicating symptoms without even knowing it, because caffeine does help (like any stimulant likely would). I used caffeine and nicotine to supplement my ability to focus and function for years without realizing why.

I've actually been not drinking caffeine for over a month now and wow, this guy sounds super addicted. The fact that nothing improved in a month is rather worrisome. I was drinking too much caffeine, but still less than him and things have definitely improved. Though, some challenges remain. I'm pretty surprised nothing got better.

I’m on day 9 of being caffeine free. It’s been rough but it’s getting better day by day. I’m also eating cleaner. What helped me tremendously is to actually focus on my sleep hygiene routine. I actually start it about two hours before bedtime. I remove stimulations like tv and phone, take a nice hot shower, light a candle and dim the lights. I also take 5HTP which helps my mind to relax. I get in bed about 30 minutes before I’m set to fall asleep and just…lay there. It sounds so simple but it has been working like a charm. I went cold Turkey after consuming almost 600mg a day with a mix of energy drinks, pre workout and coffee. I’m praying that I am never tempted to go back to that drug. I feel so much better, even in the struggle to recover. Oh- I see other people mention this also, but my digestion is improving too. Far less bloated and agitated.

caffeine has a 5 hour half life so your last cup is still in your system up to 10 hours later. If anyone is struggling with sleep because of caffeine then the first step is to set a cut off point that is at least 10 hours before your bedtime. The second point is that your cortisol levels are at their highest for an hour or two after waking, so drinking caffeine in that window is least useful. By delaying when you start drinking it and bringing forward the time you stop you can greatly improve both the effects of caffeine for you and your sleep.

I’m 7 months caffeine free. I started feeling really good at 6 months. However I’ve seen testimonies and stories of people saying it can take up too 2 years to see the full benefits. When you hit 12-14 months you break through another layer of improvement. Most benefits I have experienced are , more confidence, more open to confrontation (sales) , better sleep, more calmness, less anxiety, better speaking abilities, more energy and so on. This is only at 7 months for me. I’ve abused caffeine and this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I’m so happy I did. Way better then being a junky with horrible side effects

alternate title: caffeine addict justifies their addiction I mean that with the most love and respect. If coffee makes you happy then drink coffee please. I just died laughing watching this video. Love this video. Keep it up.

I'm going into day 12 of no caffeine, the worst of the withdraw seems to be over. Been drinking plenty of water instead. It gets better guys, WAGMI

I’m currently trying to cycle off caffeine as I have grown a huge dependence on it. So glad you guys came out with a new video!

I gave up dairy 5 years ago, meat 4 years ago, alcohol 3 years ago. I need something, please don't make me want to give up caffeine too haha

Really cool editing guys. Well done.

You didn’t go long enough to see the benefits. Someone who was drinking 3x a day should do like a 60 day challenge

Pro tip: start cutting caffeine on the first day of your weekend, so you have a chance to get used to it for a couple days before you have to go to work.

Man, I loved this video, very honest take on cutting coffee. I'm at the same point of taking time completely away from caffeine but seeing its benefits as well as its downsides. I've always had the 2pm rule and that has worked well for me, every time I break it I have crap sleep that night, but if not I sleep just fine most nights.

I did this. Best decision of my life. Teeccino roasted herbal tea helped me get through. It’s not as rich as coffee but it was a good placebo. Vanilla Nut & Hazelnut were my favorite flavors

After the cold shower I expected: "great, now I feel cold _and_ tired."

I struggled too, but having green drinks in the morning brings your energy back.

I’ve been cutting caffeine out over the last 4 months… from 2-3 cups, to 1 cup to 4oz, to 1oz… now I have an amazing mushroom elixir… no caffeine. at 1oz of coffee, I still got headaches… my body hung onto the caffeine til the bitter end. Now that I don’t have any caffeine, I feel more energy, better digestion, less anxiety ( it wasn’t easy!) 👍🏼

Several Years ago I switched to using 50% caffeinated and 50% decaffeinated beans and limited my consumption to 1 travel mug, about venti sized, per day. And had no issues with sleep and still don't. If I were to consume more than a travel mug per day, I would likely raise the decaffeinated ratio to 90% and drop caffeinated to 10%.

"Don't see any benefit to giving up caffiene entirely." *Literally can not live without it.*

I hear ya. I switched to half caff a while back and am preparing to go caffeine free. I am a sugar addict who cannot seem to sustain my abstinence and two experts whom I respect have suggested I give up caffeine. I am downright scared, but also very curious because I have been drinking caffeinated beverages for about 50 years. If staying off flour and sugar means giving up caffeine, then I'm going to do it.

This video got me subscribed to your channel. And I love your creative idea to have a plot twist in the end.

As someone with sweaty anxiety and insomnia, I definitely see great benefit in ditching caffeine as completely as possible. (Chocolate has a little caffeine, and so does most decaf…but I’m alright with that little bit.)

After 30 years of coffee I quit two weeks ago and I'm feeling great. No anxiety more energy better sleep. If I could turn back time I would never start drinking it. I loved drinking coffee but it's affecting your life too much. It drains energy from you instead of giving it.

Caffeine is totally a drug. When I realized how much of a crutch it was, and got sick of the headaches, I just stopped. Getting over that hill when you cut it off is so hard. Hard enough that I am pretty choosy about my Caffeine intake. My husband on the other hand will power through two mugs most days and complains about poor sleep all the time. He's mostly useless with the kids at night.

Yo this comment section is weird. Cam, as a long time watcher and avid coffee drinker - this is a good video! I’ve had similar issues and will definitely be trying some of your suggestions out! Great work, man. Hope your sleep continues to improve 🙏

Day 34 no caffeine. I think of it time to time but really don’t miss it. My drug of choice was a 5 hour energy a day, even when I didn’t feel I needed it. Ordered the stuff two cases at a time from Walmart and Amazon. Looked forward to the 5 min initial pick me up. I know, sad. Had to let it go. Too much anxiety. Replaced Starbucks. 17 years of caffeine to feel upbeat and energetic. Not how long it will last. Be encouraged.

I wonder if you swapped your coffee for green tea for 30days would you get the benefit? It's not as potent as coffee for caffeine but would be a good one to experiment with. Great video 👍🏽

I used to drink an insane amount of coffee at my last job. In the morning, I would have 4 cups of coffee in the morning with 2 shots of espresso in each cup, then would have another in the afternoon. I cut cold turkey and haven't had a cup in 1.5 years.

What I did is cut down to 8oz a day. I don't use coffee to last the whole day, I just use it for motivation to get up.

I think the sweet spot is 2 cups a day spaced a few hours apart, try to get it in before 1 or 2, and after that either go for black tea (half the caffeine) or green tea (even less) or decaf. If you space the cups out you don't get that crazy rush of energy but get a bit more of a modest energy boost through the day. Coffee to late and you fuck up sleep negating whatever benefits the caffeine gave you for the next few days.

kind of odd results, I would say. for years I've been living off of both coffee and energy drinks. I would either drink 2 12 oz sugar free Red bulls, or 2 20 oz sugar free Monsters - never both - and perhaps an additional 2-4 cups of breakfast blend coffee, each and every day. Very recently I had a scare at a physical and cut out caffeine cold turkey for about 11 days now. After day 1, my energy levels and sleep gradually improved each day. Before quitting, I would always crash somewhere between 4pm and 6pm, often dozing off on the couch for 30 min up to 90 min, which just made me feel worse. In contrast, by day 2 or 3 without caffeine, I felt pretty good and only began to feel tired around a regular time (9-10pm or so). Mornings have also been so much better than at any other time in my adult life, probably even going back to age 13 or so, and I'm now pushing 40. I will also say that I never experienced headaches after quitting, which is also apparently very common. However, the irritability aspect has definitely been spot on, but it does start to taper off after 7, 8, 9ish days. Overall, I'd say don't let this video dissuade you from giving up caffeine if you're on the fence. I suspect OP has something else going on like sleep apnea, or he's on a lot of supplements like creatine, or who knows what lol

As a South African, listening to you trying to pronounce "Rooibos" is honestly a treat :D

I gave up coffee after the flu & switched to black & green tea. I didn’t have any coffee for years. If you have problems sleeping, I recommend cutting down on coffee & not having coffee after 2:00 or 3:00 pm & see if that works. A nice glass of iced green tea will pick you up, but wear off in about 6 hours. I drink 2 cups of black tea in the morning. Sometimes I add a cup of Chai if it’s foggy. If it’s hot, I have iced tea, iced green tea, or iced coffee. They all work well. Iced coffee works better for me than hot coffee. When it’s cold in the winter, I drink hot coffee for the taste, but I it doesn’t work for me anymore. Iced coffee gives me a good pick up. If I was going to give up caffeine, I would do it gradually. I would drink iced green tea & Matcha & then try slowly cutting down from there. I hear that a lot of people like functional mushrooms so I might try that for energy. A few other things to consider for fatigue are: Thyroid function, adrenal fatigue, are you getting enough B vitamins? B1 & B12?, Are you getting enough Vitamin D? Enough fish oil? Minerals? Also your diet? I avoid carbohydrates & dairy during the day because they make me sleepy. Also exercise? I’ve been able to swim in the late afternoon & that makes a huge difference. Check insulin resistance. That’s what was making me tired. I eat salmon or sardine or tuna or mackerel salad sandwiches. Build muscle…Also, don’t rely on coffee. Don’t drink more than one cup or a cup & a half. Detox with green tea or a detox tea. Drink water & stay hydrated.

One of the things I learned from reading a lot of experts; if you go off of Caffeine, you must add more protein to your diet, and other things that naturally give you energy. I do not drink a lot of coffee, maybe once every blue moon. I love drinking tea (mainly green tea). I also use a tablespoon of Raw, uncooked and unfiltered honey in my tea. I have just started back to using molasses. All these things will help you maintain your energy levels throughout the day; especially the teas, since the caffeine they have is processed differently by your body, and you do not have the same type of crash. I can also go without tea for a very long time, too. I will drink a 40oz bottle of water with lemon added on an empty stomach. I will add raw honey and molasses to the lemon water with a few drops of peppermint oil when I am going to the gym, and drink that down through the whole workout. I tend to have more energy. Enjoy!!

Haven’t watched a video in a while, god damn the video production has gone up massively

I think your body was super hooked on coffee but so cool that you finally found a more balance way of having it in your life : 》

Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours. So if you have a coffee at 6pm half of that caffeine is still in your system by midnight. If you have one at 12am 25% is still in your system at midnight. Also Cam, thinking a problem you've likely had for decades was gunna be solved in 1 month was rather unlikely.

Dude you went back?!? What?!?!?How?!? You saw how badly it affected you and then gave in?!? I don’t get it.

Im off caffeine (energy drinks) for 36 days now and feel great! More sharp in my mind and better sleep. No headaches.

I recommend watching dr hubermanlab episode on sleep, and also giving caffeine a rest for a week every three weeks, because it resets your caffeine tolerance, hope it helps!!! Im also trying to quit and have good energy without depending on caffeine

I switched out coffee for matcha which doesn’t have the same crash effect. Now I’m trying to eliminate caffeine and it feels pretty good. The occasion coffee jacks up my blood sugar, but tastes so good haha

Given what you learned about naps, did you moderate your nap length? If not, what if too long naps continued killing sleep, and what if that perpetuated the energy issues?

You just proved that 30 days cannot undo what is I assume years of damage.

Not trying to 1 up or anything, but I did this for 60 days after watching an interview of Michael Pollan. It was completely underwhelming. Giving up was just…fine. And when I went back on coffee, it wasn’t some magical experience. I guess every brain just has a different chemical situation going on. I also only had 1-2 cups a day, so maybe that makes a difference too. Great vid

I used to be a very heavily caffeinated man. I cut it off dramatically. 8oz in the morning is all that's needed, IMO. I skip coffee if its a workout morning in order to use the pre-workout caffeine. I don't see the value of drinking several cups of coffee a day, in fact there were several times I totally forgot to drink my thermos. The "you can't drink coffee till you're ready to leave" is a huge motivator to start your day.

Check out "Sugar is not a treat" by Jody Stanislaw, a TED talk where she recommends 3 things to do when you crave sweets. Good protein in the morning might have helped you deal with the fallout.

I switched to decaf a while a go and have not gone back. I notice that if I need coffee to "wake" me up then it means I'm not going to bed on time and sleeping well. The lesson is to prioritise sleep and then just enjoy coffee for the taste and the manifold health benefits, not as a substitute for bad sleeping habits

Always think of the benefits 🤔 growa pair & keep going forward 👏

I had to take sleep aids that did the trick. I would say my energy returned after about 10-14 days in. When I reintroduced coffee, it felt like Adderall. I think it is wise to take a day off a week to keep tolerance from building

I pretty much drank about 10- 12 cups of tea/coffee everyday for well over a decade - I tried going cold turkey and I had to go to bed cos of the feeling of sickness and a ridiculous headache - it was like a horrendous hangover. In the end I chose to have one cup of tea and literally in less than 10 minutes my symptoms went away, absolutely crazy how dependant I had got. So I have now managed to cut it down to about 1 cup a day and a good decaff coffee really helps even if it isnt 100 percent removal of caffeine. I think il always have my morning cup of tea, because tea is my favourite drink and decaff tea is horrible.

I would be curious the outcome if you served someone decaf for an extended period of time without them knowing and see how they respond. Same amount of coffee, etc.

Try the cold showers like an hiit session, rather than one long sprint: 3-5 + sets of :10 secs each. Then, you will enjoy them and the cold water will be on when you get out.

No headaches? Whenever I start coffee withdrawal I get DEBILITATING headaches. Like there's a little man inside my head hammering at my temples.

I stopped drinking coffee, in late afternoons, evenings, and nights which also, helped a lot!

Great quality video sir.

The production quality of your videos continues to be out of this world - you've come a long way! Great job guys 👍

I stopped drinking coffee by accident and felt the benefits immediately and better sleep better heart health and drink only drink green tea once in a while

I quit my four day a cup coffee habit cold turkey 60 days ago. The first seven days were an absolute nightmare with the headaches, but I do sleep way more soundly now. I did not go back to daily caffeine coffee. In a pinch I have caffeinated green tea, but that’s it.

Found out that 15 min power naps are clutch they really suck when you wake up but you feel amazing after you pass that phase. 😊

Me drinking coffee while watching this: hmmm interesting

I paused this mid video to make coffee... love the channel

I quit coffee a year ago: I would get headaches if I didn't have a cup within 20 hours of my last one. It was a problem. I still have it from time to time, but getting addicted scares me a little bit. Sometimes, when I'm especially tired, I reconsider though, even if cutting it out was hell xD

I once gave it up for 2 weeks, and felt lethargic all the time. Days 5-6 were awesome, for some reason after that it went downhill. Due to its side effects (worse for my heartburn, congestion problems etc) I have to give it up forever. Here is hoping this nightmare won't repeat.

It's your diet making you tired. Cut the carbs.

I quit caffeine and coffee for 4 years. I would wake up in the mornings, wide eyed and bushy tailed. Then i had to work night shifts for 3 months and went back on both. I will never give up coffee again. I will send young boys to war to ensure i get my beans. I would be willing to switch back to decaf, but getting to that point is ROUGH.

I lived my whole life without ever drinking coffee or tea or energy drinks -at 25 I started drinking coffee and am now bout to turn 27 and am often drinking 4-500mg (or two lattes worth of caffeine) a day. I now love coffee and I love what caffeine does for me but also knowing I used to not need it does make me think about quitting or maybe doing a month off of caffeine a year to reset my tolerance.

I was also unknowingly caffine free for about 20 days. Since the start of 2024 , I had trouble sleeping at night. But once I was stopped drinking coffee, I feel rather too sleepy. To the point of feeling exhausted even after I wake up. Coffee made being awake so much better and I was actually energetic. I have no mental health issues and I exercise daily. But I do feel exhausted.

I drink two cups two hours after waking up. No more no less. And decaf on Sunday if I slept in, otherwise I’m not tired enough at night.

Finally some validation. I gave up caffeine for a hot minute and I also saw no benefits. My bathroom time stopped being regular, I still couldn't fall asleep til 2am, I didn't sleep better, lost productivity, all the same effects. Exactly the same.

Takes 3 months to feel normal. A book called 'caffeine blues' was very useful for me. Cold turkey is a mistake, but once youre done with coffee dont reintroduce it again because the honeymoon period will fool you back into the addiction

It's about the hardest thing I've done. I felt like I had the flu. Headache etc. I still after 7 years i dream about caffeine. It's as hard as any class A drug. It's highly addictive and very hard to kick the habit. The sad thing is the majority of the population are addicted to iron, and it gets away with murder! Heroin and cocain get a bad rep but caffeine gets a good reputation! Caffeine is a scourge on mankind. Eventually, when it's finally gone you do feel the benefits of quitting. It's about as hard as giving up smoking. It's a horrible drug addiction. Good luck and peace to you all!

I'm 40 and started drinking coffee at 8. Eventually 4-6 cups a day. I work long hours so I need the caffeine (or something). I refuse energy drinks. I've also been drinking over a gallon of water everyday for 30 years. I built my body into a machine, have quit multiple things like eating a late dinner, eating cheese, ect. That was easy. I'm very healthy, take no pills and work out 5 days a week. But here I was at 6 weeks of quitting coffee and my body shut down. The pain was so severe that my entire body hurt in that time period and my mind became very fragile. The Dr actually told me to get back drinking coffee immediately.

The yelling in the shower 😂

oooh. I love A Name In the Wind! Great book. Also, I am currently taking a break from caffine. Oddly enough the think that is getting me through it right now is hot water. I am sure that sounds stupid but it is working for me =) Cheers

I am legitimately addicted to coffee, DAY and NIGHT. I would joke about it but never realized that it's a TRUE mental and physical addiction. ESPECIALLY early in the morning, anytime i wake up from a nap and evening after work.

I cut back on coffee for similar reasons. Also, the acid from coffee (too much) bothers my stomach. I tried caffeine substitutes but did not like them. It tasted like drinking grass. I need the real thing!

Damn I'll try doing morning coffee's again because haven't quit caffeine entirely and I'm feeling sluggish throughout the day

Can't believe this doesn't have more views

Yeah, I've been without an energy drink for 12 days and I feel sooo run down.

I've also heard coffee takes way longer to get out of your system completely, like 45-90 days to completely adjust so our boy may just be torturing himself

Great video. I’m glad you did this experiment, because it showed you where your body is “really” at! And it led to reducing your intake and being more conscious around your use of coffee. Two things: have you ever tried a consultation with a Chinese medical doctor? i.e. acupuncturist? Because your “Adrenal dropoff” in the afternoon, and issues with insomnia may be imbalances or deficiencies in your system that can be treated with dietary changes, acupuncture and more importantly in this case, traditional herbs. Coffee is an amazing fruit, but there are other approaches to full activation that can offer you a more permanent improvement without the drawbacks.

Kudo's on the Chemex Pot. I just got a coffee sock from amazon that works equally as well as their filters - just made of cotton and re-usable. :) I also brew in a French Press for 5 mins then pour through filter - best of both worlds. :)

It would be great to see you look into the benefits of hormone optimization. You would see huge benefits from this.

I tried going off coffee about a couple weeks ago because I was noticing an increase in my overall anxiety, and it just did not work for me, man. I tried tapering off and it did not decrease my anxiety at all, so I just went cold-turkey and that was a big mistake. I was constantly stressed and fatigued and had a monstrous pressure headache. Some days were better than others, but it was 80% just feeling like I was going to collapse at any moment and that my body was on fire AND my head was in a vice. Not to mention symptoms of depression (which I spent years struggling with( reared their ugly head too. I'm still trying to find a balance of what my intake should be, but man it's been...rough to say the least. Think I'm near the light at the end of the tunnel, thankfully.

I love the ritual trip to the gas station for a nasty cup every morning. It's literally the only reason I even need a car. I work from home and I just walk everywhere else once caffeinated lol. It's a really stupid habit but hear i am heading out the door right now. I'm autistic so I have a weird obsession with gas stations is part of my issue lol

What about the withdrawal headaches, were there any? I’m a coffee drinker that cycles off for 2 months every year always find that my sleep improves and after the first week and a half my energy tends to return. I love coffee as well and have been drinking it since high school.

I think it takes longer than 30 days to get over the withdrawal and "reset" your body

1 month, do nothing. Do like 6 month for more data. I had a headache for 2 weeks when I stopped drinking caffeine cold turkey x)

Hi im from south africa the tea you read is rooibos (red bush) in our language, you pronounce Rooi as Roy and Bos as Baus(just saying it a bit faster)

Took 6 months last time I pulled caffeine from my diet before I saw any real benefits.

I drink Decaf Cold Brew (yea it's still has a little caffeine), but my addiction and what I'm slowly reducing/eliminating is SODA. 35 years old and I've been drinkin lots of soda for a good 25 years, it's so hard to just eliminate soda, so instead i've gone from 3-5 cans a day, down to 3, and I'm about to go down to 2 which is 1 Sprite and 1 Coke (12 oz can) Upside is as far as caffeine is concerned, only getting Caffeine from that Coca Cola can

I did a coffee cleanse, worse three days of my life. The first day I was in the full blown DT’s. Headache, body aches, vomiting. After three days I had a cup and the euphoric wave that spread over me was magic. Never again will I go through that.

I am about to drink my second cup of coffee and watching this...

I first saw this video August 2022 and decided to quit caffeine for good. Still going strong after more than 8 months! Week 2: The withdrawal headaches went away Week 4: Tiredness in the morning went away ~Week 9 or 10: The cravings for coffee/soda/energy drinks went away EDIT: It has been a little over a year for me and I'm gonna celebrate with a single coffee.

1 month isnt even enough after years of using it every day you should take at least 3 full months no caffeine to feel the benefits

Postum is a good substitute for coffee; similar smell and taste...made from roasted grains...

I've also that problem where hsrd fall asleep. and most times i sleep 5h a day. I know have lot consequences. but just can't help it. I tried quit caffeine. I also work out. I avoid stimulated activity at night like music etc, I just listen to rain sounds etc. my opinion is our life style are too much indoors, lot screen , stress, people...all that ruins our circadian cycle. we need slow it down, go more outdoor, get sun avoid screens..

I was thinking about getting addicted to coffee. (at least before this)