I gave up on caffeine a few years ago. I don't miss it, and find I have more energy and sleep better than before. I'm tempted to restart every time I read the 'caffeine is good for your health'-type reports, but so far I've stuck with H2O.
I do find caffeine use to be effective, driving force. Instead of just sitting around at home doing nothing, I feel compelled to take my laptop and be unproductive at local cafes. It also enhances my attention/focus deficiencies, leading me to read many more books, magazines, and blogs than I normally would were I to remain enmeshed in whatever I'm working on.
Provigil (Modafinil) is the wonder drug for people working all-night on deadlines. You don't have to sleep. http://www.slate.com/id/2079113/
I'd take the 'virtually no side effects' with a little caution, of course.
Personally, I prefer working on the adrenaline that comes from an impending deadline. Whether this is healthier than using stimulants - I don't know. It works for me.
I enjoy a cup of coffee most mornings, but I don't think it does a lot of good for long-term productivity.
A B-complex vitamin supplement (B-100) plus extra folate (to a total of 200% RDA of folic acid) definitely seems to help, though. And there's research to suggest that it reduces or prevents long-term cognitive decline.
I am pretty physically active, which is why I began taking it, but I have noticed a definite improvement in how long I can work with a 'clear head'. I did a bit of research around it and also found some studies suggesting it helps long-term with cognitive functions.
I suppose that is why redbull and a few other energy drinks throw a lot of B in their drinks.
(It is the only supplement I take, so perhaps through my diet I am missing a certain vit-B, YMMV)
No, it doesn't. It gives me a rush for less than five minutes and then I am back to the lower levels. Sleep works much better, but not the night one. Sleeping midday for less than an hour works way way better than caffeine. Shame my boss would never agree to it, but I do on weekends.
What may help with being energized (outside of consuming substances) is subdividing the day's activities into defined tasks and taking breaks in-between. This gives the work a flow and helps to concentrate and be "in the moment."
Yes, it is similar to caffeine, but no jittery side effects. The focus-increasing/anti-ADHD aura of kratom is decidedly better than caffeine but less than amphetamine.
When consumed for stimulation, it is best drunk continuously as slowly as possible throughout a day. Caffeine works best like this also, but most people drink their cups quickly at certain times of the day.
