| I think this is a vast simplification. People vary. Sometimes drastically. Sometimes even from day to day. I have certain foods that seems to dramatically change the way stimulants like caffeine affect me. For whatever reason if I eat bananas and nut butter (maybe I have an allergy or food intolerance?) I find that caffeine makes me feel like I crash. When taken on an empty stomach I can get very "wired" but it also depends heavily on my sleep schedule and the time of day I take it. I've noticed I can get an incredibly productive boost from caffeine when I take it at a time that disrupts my current circadian rhythm. I (used to) usually drink coffee in the morning and it rarely felt like it helped at all. I knew if I was desperate I could drink it around noon and see a big boost but then I wouldn't be able to go sleep on time and would pay for it the next day Genetics, diet, microbiome, epigenetics, sleep habits, study habits, social health, seasonality, etc all likely play some role in the way people metabolize caffeine. There is no published evidence that stimulants universally make people ADHD more tired or calm. And personally I believe given the right conditions anyone might get to experience the effect of caffeine actually making them sleepy. |
> And personally I believe given the right conditions anyone might get to experience the effect of caffeine actually making them sleepy.
There was a 6 month time in my late 20s when I was averaging 3.5 hours of sleep during the week while working two jobs and going to school. The third energy drink of the day seemed to signal my body to be tired.
Years later with a much better life balance and fully off of caffeine for months at a time a single 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola at lunchtime was enough to keep me wired until late into the evening. Some time after that, while fully off of caffeine for about a year, 80 mg accidentally ingested from caffeinated protein bars disrupted my sleep deep into the night and took a couple of days to recover from.
I could definitely do better with procrastination, and sometimes have trouble focusing, but am pretty sure I don't have ADD/ADHD.