History Main / CaffeineFailure

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch Help!...It's the Hair Bear Bunch!]]'' episode "The Bear Who Came To Dinner" centers on Square Bear who is faking an injury that zookeeper Peevly is on the hook for. Square is in a body cast, so to ensure that he doesn't move from bed, Peevly tells Botch to watch him 24 hours a day. "And don't let me catch you asleep on the job, you hear?!" he charges. Botch eventually does fall asleep...with his eyes open, giving the bears the chanmce to sneak out to a drive-in movie.

* ''The ''[[WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch Help!...It's the Hair Bear Bunch!]]'' episode "The Bear Who Came To Dinner" centers on Square Bear who is faking an injury that zookeeper Peevly is on the hook for. Square is in a body cast, so to ensure that he doesn't move from bed, Peevly tells Botch to watch him 24 hours a day. "And don't let me catch you asleep on the job, you hear?!" he charges. Botch eventually does fall asleep...with his eyes open, giving the bears the chanmce to sneak out to a drive-in movie.

** Earlier in the same episode, Batman tries to wake Superman by giving him some stimulants, but isn't surprised when it fails. "This is someone who could have a building fall on him and not feel it."

** [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin That's not just caffeine...]] except was this the case way back in season 2?

This is TruthInTelevision for two reasons: First, if a person is sufficiently exhausted, no amount of caffeine or stimulant will keep them awake. Second, people develop a tolerance for caffeine leading to diminishing returns on each subsequent dose. On people who are naturally "wired" to a certain degree, like those with ADHD, especially those who have been on medication for a long time (since ADHD medications are typically powerful stimulants that make caffeine look weak by comparison), caffeine may have drastically limited effects, so a dose that would make most people into jittery insomniacs may just cause them to yawn less for an hour.

** In "Only A Dream", Batman has been up for three days in a row and needs to track down a supervillain attacking his teammates in their dreams. He grabs something super-caffeinated, but the rush is noted to wear off fairly quickly. He makes it through sheer stubbornness, and the episode ends with him conked out.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Only A Dream", Batman has been up for three days in a row and needs to track down a supervillain attacking his teammates in their dreams. He grabs something super-caffeinated, but the rush is noted to wear off fairly quickly. He makes it through sheer stubbornness, and the episode ends with him conked out.

* In one story arc of ''Comics/ForBetterOrForWorse'', Michael is so nervous about an upcoming series of exams that he pops a bunch of caffeine pills to help him pull an all-nighter--one of several in a row, as it appears. The last panel shows him sitting at his desk, eyes wide open... and snoring.

* On one ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' short, Tom is trying to not get caught sleeping, so he takes pot after pot of coffee. Eventually he has a BalloonBelly slushing with gallons of coffee, yet is thoroughly exhausted and falls asleep shortly afterwards.

-->--'''Maxwell Post''', [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fc02367.htm discovering why Bill Raibert won't answer his phone]], ''WebComic/{{Freefall}}''

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E6TreehouseOfHorrorVI episode]] spoofing ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' Bart & Lisa drink coffee to stay awake so Groundskeeper Willie won't kill them in their sleep. Eventually they fall asleep anyway.

This is TruthInTelevision for two reasons: First, if a person is sufficiently exhausted, no amount of caffeine or stimulant will keep them awake. Second, people develop a tolerance for caffeine leading to diminishing returns on each subsequent dose. On people who are naturally "wired" to a certain degree, like those with ADHD, especially those who have been on medication for a long time (since ADHD meds are by and large amphetamines), caffeine may have drastically limited effects, so a dose that would make most people into jittery insomniacs may just cause them to yawn less for an hour.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Folklore}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* Mentioned in {{Music/PMMP}}'s song "Joku raja" to underline just how sick and tired the viewpoint character is of their abusive nightmare relationship.

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WebVideo]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

This is TruthInTelevision for two reasons: First, if a person is sufficiently exhausted, no amount of caffeine or stimulant will keep them awake. Second, people develop a tolerance for caffeine leading to diminishing returns on each subsequent dose. People who are naturally "wired" to a certain degree, like those with ADHD, especially those who have been on medication for a long time (since ADHD meds are by and large amphetamines), caffeine may have drastically limited effects on them, so a dose that would make most people into jittery insomniacs may just cause them to yawn less for an hour.

If it's because someone switches to decaf, it's not this trope.

This is TruthInTelevision for two reasons: First, if a person is sufficiently exhausted, no amount of caffeine or stimulant will keep them awake. Second, people develop a tolerance for caffeine leading to diminishing returns on each subsequent dose.

This is TruthInTelevision for two reasons: First, if a person is sufficiently exhausted, no amount of caffeine or stimulant will keep him or her awake. Second, people develop a tolerance for caffeine leading to diminishing returns on each subsequent dose.

* One common urban legend is of a student who uses energy drinks or some other stimulant to stay awake to study for an exam--only to hand in gibberish, drivel, or something bizarre due to his/her brain not working.

* One of the later ''Film/NightmareOnElmStreet'' movies had a character actually eating coffee grinds in an attempt to stay awake and avoid Freddy. It did not work, at all.

-->--'''Maxwell Post''', [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fc02367.htm discovering why Bill Raibert won't answer his phone]], ''WebComic/{{Freefall}}

-->One of these drinks would have had my eyeballs vibrating out of my skull. He's had three and he's still fallen asleep.
-->--''[[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fc02367.htm Maxwell Post discovering why Bill Raibert won't answer his phone]], ''WebComic/{{Freefall}}