For various reasons, I have given up drinking coffee. One of the main reasons is that it aggravates my RLS, which is particularly unpleasant, but another is because of the following:

The brain has receptors to tell it when you are tired, to make you go to sleep. When you drink coffee, the caffeine numbs these sensors, leaving you more alert or awake for a short period of time. After some time, your brain becomes "aware" of the fact that the receptors aren't doing their job, and so it grows more. Now, anything that you ingest that makes your brain grow extra bits, I am not keen on at all. My brain is a certain size, shape and colour for a reason. I'd prefer it to stay that way.

My efforts in weaning myself off coffee started soon after I became aware of what it was doing to me, and I had to cut out my 8 a day double-strength habit.

The following lists the steps I took in reducing my caffeine intake (all over the period of a month):

I am now drinking just water, and feel a lot better about it. I just went and got myself one of the old trusty double-strength coffees with milk (no sugar) and it is disgusting. The milk tastes off, and the coffee bitter.

Back to the water...