I tumbled down the Reddit rabbit hole and collided with the 90-minute coffee delay hype. Proponents of the trend spoke in reverent tones about it being an energy enhancer – could this be the holy grail for an energy-hungry parent? Despite my skeptical eyebrow-raised-interest, I decided to take one for the team and embarked on a 30-day caffeine delay experiment.

The initial few days were nothing short of a caffeine-deprived nightmare. The expected withdrawal headaches found me right on schedule. But after a grueling four days, my 8:00 a.m. coffee time had become a tolerable, if not enjoyable, experience. The performance enhancement, however, seemed to be playing a cruel game of hide and seek.

As I dragged myself into week two, with my menstrual cycle throwing an occasional wild pitch, the elusive energy boost remained MIA. Yet, during week three, I had a revelation – I felt more focused, productive, and more frighteningly, a tad happier about my newly found coffee routine.

The desire to lengthen the coffee gap became quite the fancy, indicating that the process could be more psychologically appeasing than a physical fix. It seemed the coffee craving was more centered around the camaraderie of habit than about my desperate need for caffeine.

The instigator of this craze, neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, underscored the benefits of delaying caffeine in an Instagram post, pointing to increased mood, no subsequent crash, and improved sleep. "Science, meet eyebrow-raise," I thought, and then dived head-first into some research.

Two main ideas bubble to the surface around this trend – one, giving adenosine a head start helps prevent a post-caffeine crash, and two, a natural cortisol increase accounts for consistent energy.

As it turns out, caffeine plays blocker to adenosine receptors. And while it's all fine and dandy between them, surprisingly, early-bird caffeine could potentially amplify the energy effect.

And yes, sure, caffeine can hit the upward arrow on cortisol levels. But alarm bells or a case of cardio can do the same. Relying on caffeine to control morning cortisol is like trusting a parrot to guard a cracker factory.

Giving adenosine and cortisol a wide berth is less a set rule and more a suggestion. The effects can vary – and here, your biology, surroundings, and even the alignment of the planets (not really, but you catch my drift) can play a role.

Huberman has now taken a slightly back seat view regarding the trend, emphasizing the early caffeine intake for those who don't usually experience the post-lunch energy dip.

Here's my take – the 90-minute delay did not exponentially boost my energy levels. Instead, it seemed to lessen the post-lunch slump and provided even energy levels throughout the day. However, I must underscore, caffeine consumption is simply a piece of the overall energy puzzle, which includes but is not limited to exercise, diet, and for fellow parents, an occasional break from the Little League.

If you're playing with the idea of a 90-minute coffee delay, go ahead! No, it won't feel like downing a gallon of energy potion, but coupling it with a balanced lifestyle might lead to some pleasantly surprising results. We're all in this together, one sip at a time.