Sleep, Caffeine, and What I Thought I Was Getting Away With

I’m the kind of person who can get by on five hours of sleep or less.

Not just get by—function well. Work, think clearly, get things done. For a long time, I thought that meant I had figured something out. That I was simply more efficient with time than most people.

Looking back, I think I was often running on habit, adrenaline, and caffeine—and I’m currently working on serving my body more kindly rather than pushing through in that way by default.

I’ve recently been taking part in my own Self-Care Toolkit—a personal experiment where I focus on one area of wellbeing and actually observe what changes when I take it seriously.

I chose sleep.

Not because I didn’t already know it mattered. I did. Most of us do. But knowing something intellectually and actually changing your behaviour around it are very different things.

What I started to notice

When I began paying closer attention to my sleep, I noticed a few things quite quickly.

When I slept more consistently, I felt better in a way that was hard to fully describe. .

More grounded. More capable. Less reactive.

There was a steadiness that made the day feel more manageable rather than something I had to push through.

But it wasn’t a dramatic transformation.

One good weekend of sleep didn’t reset everything. It helped, but it didn’t erase longer-term patterns. I still noticed the pull toward caffeine, especially when I felt tired or like I needed to “switch on.”

I also started noticing something else: even when I was in bed for a reasonable amount of time, my sleep was often being interrupted.

In my case, one of the biggest contributors was something very simple—drinking too much in the evening.

I hadn’t really questioned it before. In a culture where 'a cuppa' is such a normal part of winding down, it didn’t seem like something that would affect sleep. But waking multiple times through the night was the norm for me, and once I started reducing evening drink consumption, I noticed fewer interruptions and a more continuous, deeper rest.

That shift made something very clear to me: sleep quality is not just about how long you sleep, but how uninterrupted that sleep actually is.

The cycle

For a long time, my evenings followed a familiar pattern.

I’d finish work, come home, handle household and family responsibilities, and then try to carve out a bit of time for myself. That “time” often looked like scrolling, doing business admin late at night, or getting stuck in distractions that kept me awake longer than I planned.

Sleep was usually what got sacrificed.

Then I’d rely on caffeine the next day to catch up.

It worked—until it didn’t.

Because while caffeine helped me feel alert and focused, it also started to shape the cycle I was in. Late nights, followed by stimulation the next day, followed by more difficulty winding down again.

Caffeine: helpful, but not neutral

I used to not even like coffee. I got through school and exams without it.

But at some point I discovered what many people do: caffeine doesn’t just wake you up—it changes how you can perform. It can feel like mental acceleration.

Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, which are responsible for building up sleep pressure throughout the day. So it doesn’t remove fatigue—it masks it.

It can also increase alertness and concentration, which is why it often feels like it improves productivity.

But there’s a catch: it can delay the natural signals your body uses to wind down and sleep.

And for me, being quite sensitive to caffeine, that effect can last a long time.

I even tried going without coffee for a few days.

I replaced it with herbal tea instead—less stimulating, but grounding in its own way.

The difference was noticeable. My sleep felt deeper. I had more natural energy in the mornings. On one day, I even had a vivid dream that stayed with me long after waking.

But I also noticed something else. By the afternoon and evening, I sometimes felt more tired, less motivated, and a bit flatter emotionally.

It made me question something I hadn’t fully asked before:

How much of my “high energy” state is actually my natural baseline, and how much is being supported—or masked—by caffeine?

What sleep is starting to show me

What I’m learning is that energy isn’t something we just have or don’t have in a fixed way. It shifts based on behaviour, habits, and recovery.

Motivation also isn’t constant.

There are days where things feel harder. Where thoughts like I can’t be bothered or this is too much show up more strongly. I don’t think those thoughts are new—they’re just more visible when I’m not overstimulated or pushing through on caffeine.

And in those moments, there’s still a choice: to act in small ways, or to disengage completely.

Neither is perfect or wrong. But they do shape momentum.

What actually helps sleep (in practice)

Here are three science-informed tips to help with your sleep:

1. Be mindful of caffeine timing

Try to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.

Caffeine has a half-life of roughly 3–7 hours, but in some people it can last longer—sometimes up to 10–12 hours depending on sensitivity and metabolism.

It works by blocking adenosine, the chemical that builds sleep pressure throughout the day. So while it increases alertness, it can also delay the natural feeling of tiredness your body needs for sleep.

2. Reduce light exposure before bed

Your circadian rhythm is strongly influenced by light.

Light signals wakefulness; darkness signals rest.

Reducing screen use before bed, using blue light filters, and keeping your room dark can all support melatonin production and help your body transition into sleep more naturally.

3. Pay attention to temperature

Your body naturally cools down in the evening as part of the sleep process.

A slightly cooler room tends to support better sleep quality, while being too hot can disrupt it.

Simple adjustments like keeping your bedroom cooler, using breathable bedding, or taking a warm shower before bed (which helps your body cool afterwards) can support this natural rhythm.

A more honest relationship with rest

I don’t think the answer is to demonise caffeine or chase perfect sleep habits.

But I do think it’s worth noticing the cycles we fall into—especially the ones that quietly become normal.

For me, this has been less about optimisation and more about awareness. Seeing what actually happens when I change one variable and stop overriding my body’s signals quite so often.

And slowly, learning to listen a bit more closely.

If this resonates, you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

If you want to read more about sleep, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker is a widely known and accessible introduction to the subject, and it’s a useful starting point for understanding how important sleep is.

Through ZVĀRA Wellness, I offer the Self-Care Toolkit—a structured space to build sustainable habits week by week—as well as individual coaching for those who want more personalised support around rest, energy, and wellbeing.