So why on earth would anyone want to stop drinking coffee with the threat of withdrawal hanging over our heads? For one thing, those who drink more than the recommended amount of caffeine (no more than four or five cups of coffee per day , depending on how strong they are) may have some unpleasant side effects, such as chronic insomnia . And some of us are simply fed up with having to worry about the withdrawal symptoms at all and are willing to endure a few days of pain to be free of it completely. But if you're dependent on a reasonable amount of caffeine and aren't feeling any other nasty side effects from the habit, it's not necessarily harmful. And some research suggests there may even be health benefits from drinking coffee