Psycho-Babble Alternative Thread 783943

Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Tea and sleep

Posted by Sigismund on September 19, 2007, at 14:57:25

How much tea is too much?

I am in the habit of having a pot when I get up, one after breakfast, one midmorning and one after lunch.
That's about 8 cups a day, and sometimes I drink more than that.
Because I am pretty dense, it has just occurred to me that this behaviour may have something to do with my difficulty sleeping.

I wonder if it is only the caffeine, or whether those catechins might be doing it?

 

Re: Tea and sleep

Posted by tealady on September 19, 2007, at 18:26:08

In reply to Tea and sleep, posted by Sigismund on September 19, 2007, at 14:57:25

no, its not just the caffeine.. I'm not addicted to coffeee.. and coffe keeps me awake more so..
also tea if I wake up in the middle of the night somehow helps me get back to sleep..
so the affect is only partly caffeine

But my body is addicted.. like that guy got to fast food nacca's ain supersiz me.. same idea i thin, the body seems to need the pickup after a while...

 

Re: Tea and sleep

Posted by circusboy on September 20, 2007, at 10:48:51

In reply to Tea and sleep, posted by Sigismund on September 19, 2007, at 14:57:25

Tea keeps me awake, at night too. Makes my heart beat all crazy as I'm trying to fall asleep. Green tea is worse than black. Coffee, on the other hand, doesn't do this to me. So it's definitely not just the caffeine! I'd guess that it's the COMT inhibitor flavinoids in tea that do it. I'm pretty sensitive to noradranergic chemicals, so that explanation works for me.

As an aside, I find a dose of Holy Basil nearly always calms down my heart rate/bp and lets me sleep OK. Not as well as if I hadn't've had to take it, but still OK.

-cb (who's a little fuzzy from the tryptophan he took last night)

 

Re: Tea and sleep » circusboy

Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 16:36:44

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep, posted by circusboy on September 20, 2007, at 10:48:51

I drink green cold tea during the day and thought the green didn't affect as the others do with caffeine and what about chocolate in comparison? Phillipa

 

Re: Tea and sleep » Phillipa

Posted by tealady on September 20, 2007, at 17:44:43

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep » circusboy, posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 16:36:44

green and black tea if made fom the same leaves would be same caffeine and same fluoride.. black is just green cut first, which allows the leaves to oxidise, developing the flavour.
However teas are made form different leaves, and trees ..so the actually amount of fluoride and caffeine does vary between teas. They don't state the fluoride content, some state naturally lower caffeine.. or pesticide free

 

Re: Tea and sleep » tealady

Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 18:34:27

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep » Phillipa, posted by tealady on September 20, 2007, at 17:44:43

Hi I drink lipton bottled green tea does this help. I googled the name on the bottle once and e-mailed lipton they never replied . I asked the caffeine content as it wasn't listed on the bottle. Also isn't there something in green tea that's supposed to not make it stimulating kind of cancels out the caffeine. A supplement. Thanks the other Jan Phillipa

 

Re: Tea and sleep » Phillipa

Posted by tealady on September 21, 2007, at 17:36:44

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep » tealady, posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 18:34:27

Hi Jan,
I saw your post to Ron and realised your name was also Jan :),
yes there iuis something calming in tea which balances the stimulating i effects.. probably one side works better in some people and trhe other side in others?
Best wishes,
Jan

 

Re: Tea and sleep

Posted by circusboy on September 24, 2007, at 11:12:53

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep » tealady, posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 18:34:27

>Also isn't there something in green tea that's
>supposed to not make it stimulating kind of cancels
> out the caffeine.

Yes, it's called L-Theanine. Green tea definitely does feel different than coffee -- even different than black tea -- in that the caffeine seems to be "balanced" by something else. That something else is probably the l-theanine.

Later on, though, once the l-theanine washes out, my heart rate/bp is often distractingly higher. This is probably due to the COMT inhibitors in green tea. Anyway, if green tea doesn't do this to you, feel free to keep drinking it! It's supposed to be excellent for your body and brain in many ways; it just doesn't agree with me.

-cb

 

Re: Tea and sleep

Posted by circusboy on September 24, 2007, at 11:30:29

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep » Phillipa, posted by tealady on September 20, 2007, at 17:44:43

> green and black tea if made fom the same leaves would be same caffeine and same fluoride.. black is just green cut first, which allows the leaves to oxidise, developing the flavour.
> However teas are made form different leaves, and trees ..so the actually amount of fluoride and caffeine does vary between teas. They don't state the fluoride content, some state naturally lower caffeine.. or pesticide free

I wasn't talking about *flouride*; I'm not really concerned about that. I'm talking about the active *flavinoids* (call them catechins, phytochemicals, active herb components, whatever) that exert some chemical effect on my body.

A large fraction of these flavinoids are destroyed when black tea is oxidized and processed. This would account for the more potent effects of green tea -- effects that I've experienced.

-cb

 

Re: Tea and sleep » circusboy

Posted by Phillipa on September 24, 2007, at 12:47:02

In reply to Re: Tea and sleep, posted by circusboy on September 24, 2007, at 11:30:29

See I'm so suggestive that if I think it's relaxing it is and if I think it's activating I worry the whole time I drink it but I lost taste and smell over three years ago and the lemonish taste I can taste. One of the few thing any enjoyment from when not worrying if it is stimulating or not as you can see I'm very anxious. Phillipa


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