I stood there, waiting patiently.  Okay, not so patiently.  But I was there and I was waiting.  I needed my caffeine fix.  It had been a very long day.  I hadn’t slept so great the night before and I was getting a little on the edgy side considering there were still three people ahead of me, one of which I was certain didn’t have a clue what a Peppermint Mocha was, much less the difference between espresso and cappuccino.  That’s right, I was judging people in the line at Starbucks.  Further proof, I needed my coffee!  Stat.

While I was passing my judgments, my phone rang.  Well, vibrated.  I try not to be that girl in a public place.  It was my best friend wondering what was taking me so long to get to our regularly scheduled Monday night Netflix marathon.  When I explained the situation she quickly said, “You don’t need coffee.”

“Yes.  Yes, I do.”

She proceeded to tell me about a recent study on how caffeine affects our sleep patterns, even if we drink it six or so hours before we go to bed.  She works in the medical field.  I get the scoop on what I should be doing differently all the time.  This one caught my attention.

Apparently, a new study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that caffeine (even six hours before bed) can in fact still jack up your sleep routine.  Interestingly enough, the study shows that caffeine averages a one-hour reduction in sleep nightly.  If this happens consistently enough, you’re going to be one very sleep deprived, walking zombie.

So, how are we supposed to get the energy boost we need during the day if we nix the caffeine intake?  Here are a few suggestions:

Pop a piece of gum – Not only will it keep you from knocking out the cutie in the cubicle next to you after that slice of garlic bread at lunch, it can also revitalize your body.  A 2012 study from the U.K. tells us that people who chewed gum for 15-20 minutes felt more alert than those who didn’t.  I recommend a minty flavor.  It smells good and mint is known to stimulate nerve fibers.  Win, win.

Find your sweet spot – Carbs = crash, right? Yes – and no.  You’ve probably heard about the difference whole grains can bring to the table.  Whole grains give you real energy where carbs from sugars or white flour will give you a boost but then leave you to crash and burn.  Even with whole grains though, more isn’t better.  Why?  OD’ing even on whole grains will trigger a serotonin surge, which is just going to leave you drowsy and sluggish.  I don’t recommend it.

Play with your ears – I know…this might be the craziest thing you’ve heard me say yet, but trust me, according to my physical and massage therapist best friend, it’s all about the pressure points.  And, when you’re dragging, you’ll be all ears.  How? Applying pressure to the outer rim of your ear.  Simply pinch the rim of each ear between your thumb and pointer finger, and rub up and down for 10 to 30 seconds.  Voila.  Ear energy.

(And my personal fav) Serenade someone – Okay, maybe you shouldn’t actually serenade someone, but you can lock yourself in your car – or a sound-proof room – and crank one out.  Have you ever thought about how cranking up the radio makes you drive faster?  Same principle.  Music is energizing—especially if you sing along.  So, sing it sister!  Bonus: stand up and dance around while you do.  If you’re not in your car driving that it.  Not recommended in that case.

So, you might want to reconsider that afternoon trip for your Caramel Macchiato, or at least go no caff on it.  Try one of the above suggestions.  Heck, try them all at once (if you do, please video it and send us a link to it on YouTube.  We don’t want to miss that.)