Coffee has fuelled my mornings for a long time, most of my adult life actually. My parents didn't let me drink it as a kid, quite rightly so too, but from the age of around 16 years old I started my day with a coffee.

This morning was no different and as I busied myself with getting my guns, ammunition and equipment ready to head on up to the range I was sipping a coffee.

Over the course of a typical week day I consume between 3-4 cups of coffee; Usually a flat white and sometimes espresso. On the weekends it is sometimes less and sometimes more depending on my activities.

As I've gotten older I've found the effects of the brew have changed though; They don't perk me up as readily in the mornings, and in the evening, at bed time, I'm often wide awake and find it difficult to sleep. Keeping in mind I don't often hit the rack until about midnight, not falling right to sleep is problematic as I'm usually up between 5-6am. Three hours sleep doesn't make for a happy chappy, where I'm concerned.

So, to my great disgust and everlasting shame I have taken the decision to..._{This is somewhat embarrassing} not drink coffee after 3pm in the afternoon unless it is...Decaffeinated. Yes y'all, the G-dog drinks decaffeinated coffee.

I know, I know...Before you say it you can just stop. I know I'm committing coffee-sacrilege...But if you spent a few days with the three-hours-sleep-G-dog you'd understand. It isn't enjoyable.

To be fair, the coffee-sacrilege that is decaffeinated coffee consumption is reserved for Sunday 3pm through to Thursday evening as I'm not too concerned about lack of sleep over the weekend as I'm either up early smashing out it's gloriousness, or have the ability to sleep in...But me at the office on only a few hours sleep isn't conducive to an enjoyable workplace.

I haven't done any research on the effects of caffeine on older people or why it affects people differently; Faith can drink coffee right before bed and be asleep 2 seconds after her head hits the pillow for instance? Weirdo. Maybe someone knows the answers and can enlighten me although in truth it doesn't matter really...I need my sleep and so decaffeinated coffee has entered my life.

I've been drinking it for two weeks now and I have to completely honest, I can't actually taste the difference, but I've been able to find sleep a little easier and that's not a bad thing.

So how about y'all? Does coffee affect you in this way? Do you get a buzz in the morning, find it difficult to sleep in the evening through drinking too much? Do you even drink coffee? (I know many weirdo's do not).

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Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
_{An original post written by a human
Discord: galenkp#9209} 🇦🇺

_{The image is one I took last night with my new macro camera lens - I'm just exploring what it is capable of at the moment. Those little brown things are granulated decaffeinated coffee grains.}