Man I gotta disagree with you on this one. Half caf still has caffeine in it, so you're not really fixing the problem, you're just making it smaller. If a full cup at 3pm kept you up till 1am, then even half of that is still gonna mess with some people's sleep, it just might take longer to notice. The taste thing is real though, I'll give you that, most people can't tell the difference in a blind test. But the reason you're sleeping better is probably that you cut your dose way down, not because half caf is some magic fix. I'd bet if you tried straight decaf after 2pm you'd sleep even better and still get that coffee ritual you're after. Not trying to be a jerk about it, just saying the caffeine is still in there doing its thing.

That line about squinting at spine ticks hits close to home, but honestly I don't see grading as the enemy here. Knowing my books are solid actually lets me relax and read them without worrying I'm wrecking something. Sounds more like you just went too hard too fast, set the kit down for a bit and the fun comes back.