Pure conjectural or anecdotal but it is my intuition that there is something to it
EDIT: My running theory is related to hormesis or tolerance where the body produces an opposite effect to the ligand to maintain homeostasis and there is not a sufficient dose of the exogenous drug taken to override the body’s compensatory reaction
So even tho caffeine is a stimulant (adenosine antagonist) it actually causes the body to produce the opposite reaction, causing the reverse effect of making you sleepy
Oh. Easy.
Biphasic dose response.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749113004235
Also known as hormesis.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormesis
Small/normal doses of cannabis can perk you up. Large ones sedate. Reasonable doses of alcohol give party energy. Larger ones make you go to bed.
Same with caffeine.
And everything, really.
Very cool, I’ll be spending more time meditating on this answer later :)