Forums » Smalltalk » Coffee makes me sleepy. Am I the only one?

Sodas don't do it, even caffeinated ones, but coffee sure does. Anyone else?

I've heard that it can make some people with ADHD tired
IDK if it does that to me or not

Coffee makes me disgusted, does that count? *Shots fired*

When do you usually drink coffee? I feel tired if I drink it at night.

It happens to me too.

I have heard it's a symptom of ADHD, but I have been tested and do not have it. Everyone's bodies are different and react to caffeine in different ways. Coffee makes me tired, however, sodas and certain teas do not.

I don't think it's much of an issue to people? I'm in no way an expert. xD

There are some who react that way.

I feel I should throw out there, though, that the caffeine/ADHD thing is a placebo-fueled myth. Yes, most ADHD meds are stimulants. I've talked with doctors about it though, and they've said that caffeine doesn't work the same way, and studies don't show a difference between caffeine and placebo.

I’ve fallen asleep after drinking coffee in the morning and woke up about 15 minutes later felling like I had way too much energy in a sudden surge.

The coffee thing is not a myth with ADHD
I have ADHD and I can't have coffee because it makes me to sleepy I have to have some kind of tea or something that's not caffeinated the reason why is BecuAse since the brain cells are a bit different in my brain due to ADHD the caffeine has a reverse affect

It makes my heart rate increase-- but the fact it's warm, delicious and overall comforting means I could see it being sleep inducing!

Wow, I'm glad to see that so many people are backing up my statement!!
WOOOO I feel so smart

Lol

If I don’t have coffee I can’t start my day

I DEFINITELY have ADHD, man
I act so different with and without my meds

I had coffee at 11pm I was up until 5am

ooF

Me....every single time....this includes cappuccino latte etc. I am not exactly sure why but this is the way it has always been for me and just like you it seems, any other form of caffeinated beverage does not have this effect. I've had to give up morning coffee as it will just put me back in bed or make me lethargic and possibly apathetic as a result.

So no....you are not the only one. In fact I was very pleased to find this post because I thought I was the only one

Edit: I definately do not have ADHD and this effects me this way. It's possible the effect coffee has on some people and their relating to ADHD is simply a coincidence, but I'm certainly not qualified to make that statement officially. It does, however, make sense to me

Thank you all for your input, each and every comment was helpful in me understanding this phenomenon!

That's a good point about it being hot. I will have to try cold coffee sometime, and see if it does the same thing to me or not. I've drunk cold coffee before, but I don't remember how it affected me, so maybe it doesn't.

I've heard that, about ADHD, and while I haven't done any research into it other than reading the comments on this thread, I can see how both sides could be right... for example, I know from working in the pharmaceutical industry on and off that the same drug can affect different people in different ways. Like, there could be a subset of people that it does cause sleepiness in, and a subset of people that it doesn't, or it could do it certain cases in combination with other environmental factors, yada yada. A good example is how some people who take ACE inhibitors have unexplained swelling, and no one knows why. Another good example is how one SSRI can work for one person but not for another, and yet another different SSRI can work for that person, and no ones why. So I can totally see how caffeine could do one thing in one study and another thing in another study. I don't think I have ADHD, but I have some of the symptoms, so hmmm. Anyway, I appreciate every perspective on this, especially the personal experiences!


Oh and it was in the morning. I drank half a cup of coffee, and got to work early, but I slept in the car for 25 minutes or so because I was soooo suddenly, overwhelmingly sleepy! Set my phone alarm, dragged myself in the building, but after I woke up a little, I was fine for the rest of the day. I've noticed the effect before, though. I knew better!

Thanks

One of the things coffee does is block adenosine from being used by the brain, and adenosine is what makes you tired. Your body doesn't stop producing adenosine though, so it builds up. Depending on the amount of coffee and how fast your body processes it, it's possible that it wears off fast for you. When it does, the adenosine that wasn't absorbed while the coffee was blocking the receptors suddenly gets dumped on you + the adenosine that was created after you drank coffee. That's the 'caffeine crash'. If you're sensitive to coffee, your crash will happen muuuch later than if you're not very sensitive at all.

If you add sugar to your coffee, you'll experience an insulin spike to deal with the sudden rise on blood sugar. This will also lead to a fast drop in blood sugar, which can be exhausting and make you want to sleep to preserve energy.

Add to this a lack of enough sleep, dehydration, 'heavy' foods and so forth, and it's not too surprising that you can crash hard from drinking coffee.

I also have ADHD. That why I've asked doctors about it.

Caffeine doesn't have the reverse effect on an ADHD brain. It just generally hits people differently, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not. (You can even note how many people responding are saying it makes them sleepy but who don't have ADHD.)

Similarly, stimulants in general, those that are used for treatment, aren't having a "reverse" effect on the ADHD brain. That's a common misinterpretation of what's actually happening, because on the outside, that's what it looks like. It's actually stimulating the specific parts of the brain that improve focus, control, and mindfulness though.

Edit: A side note: I have to be careful with caffeine because it messes with my anxiety. If I have too much in too short a time, I get a bunch of nervous energy with no way to actually release it. Didn't realize what was going on until a doctor told my mom she needed to avoid coffee (but soda is no issue) because it was giving her body (but not mind?) panic attacks. So... ADHD, but I have a pretty "normal" reaction to caffeine.

My roommate has ADHD with very severe symptoms. The way he explained it to me is that his brain is deficient in dopamine receptors due to the ADHD. Dopamine deficiency can lead to a wide number of issues such as loss of focus, difficulty sleeping and anxiety. Adderall and other stimulants increase dopamine levels dramatically among other things, which means the brain is getting more of it. That's why a person who doesn't have ADHD will experience pretty severe side-effects from overloading their brain with dopamine. A person with ADHD is simply filling a deficiency which is what makes people with ADHD function 'normally' when taking their medication, aka they feel good, calm and less anxious, are able to focus better and so forth, as if they didn't have ADHD.

People with ADHD are more likely to be addicted to substances because their natural state is a constant dopamine deficiency, and drugs make them feel better on a very basic biological level. Caffeine does create some levels of dopamine, but they're about the same as when you eat or drink which is not quite the same as what ADHD medication does. It's so minor that it doesn't really have any effect on people with ADHD for any significant amount of time. Being sleepy from caffeine as an ADHD person is either a placebo effect or you're already exhausted before the adenosine receptors are blocked but don't notice it until after you drink the coffee.