In the early nineties, I gradually grew my caffeine habit to the point where I was drinking about 4 pots of coffee a day. At this point, my body had developed such a habit that it was strictly a maintenance drug and I had no problem falling asleep at the end of my day.<p>During one trip, I realized that this habit was detrimental (and unsustainable), so I quit cold-turkey. For forty days, I woke up and after thirty minutes without caffeine, I would develop a severe headache. But for the last 15 years, I've managed to avoid falling back into the caffeine habit. If I skip coffee completely, I barely notice, though I limit myself (to a four-cup pot) and stop drinking caffeine before noon.<p>I don't find that I'm less creative ... when I get into "the zone" it just doesn't matter.