Can anyone offer any insight on this?
I do not get enough sleep. H and I have been trying for the last year to go to bed earlier, and it just doesn't work. We have almost 1 hr commutes to work, work 40hrs+/week, then a 1 hr. commute home to all the chores of homeowners with dogs, horses, and an ongoing project of tearing down an old farmhouse and filling in its basement.
CN: We have a lot of shiite to do when we get home and don't get to bed early enough.
This leads to me absolutely needing caffeine in the morning and sometimes at lunch just to not fall asleep at my job (I sit at a desk in front of a computer doing drafting work).
My usual is a tall thermos of coffee in the morning with a Tbsp of sugar and about 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream. It's delicious and soothing, but it's ridiculous that I'm drinking about 200+ calories in my morning coffee! I've tried using half & half, milk, almond milk, and it's just not the same. I should also note I buy pretty cheap coffee.
I can't do black coffee, at least not 16 oz. of it. But maybe I should try Espresso in the am with a small dollop of heavy cream? That would cut out most of the 1/2 c. I usually drink, and i don't have to "suffer through" as much unsweetened coffee.
Another option is the 5 hr energy shots. I don't know enough about them to form an opinion on how they affect my health. Obviously I would watch the caffeine amount, but is there anything else to be concerned about? They just seem so... hokey? Diet pill-esque? In a so-easy-it-can't-be-good-for-you kind of way. Also kind of expensive.
I would appreciate any input. I love my morning mug of blonde and sweet, but it's killing my calorie count. I am a water drinker all day, I just need something first thing to wake me up, and something post lunch to beat the mid-day slump.
Sorry this is a novel. I'm known for being verbose.