DR. WALLACE: My older brother drinks tons of coffee all day and night! He's totally addicted to the stuff. But if I have just a few sips of coffee after 8 pm, I find that I can't fall asleep at all!

Meanwhile, my brother not only sleeps like a baby, he snores like a freight train! It's obvious that no matter how much coffee he drinks, it does not affect his sleeping patterns whatsoever.

How can this be? I thought that since we are siblings our body chemistry would be nearly identical. — A Half a Cup Keeps Me Up All Night, via email

A HALF A CUP KEEPS ME UP ALL NIGHT: Even siblings have their own unique body chemistry, and I would also say that his tolerance for caffeine is much higher than yours.

Count your blessings in that your moderate use of caffeine will likely keep your body healthier over the long run than his will. This is also true for many individuals who consume large quantities of high-caffeine sports energy drinks.

WE ARE ALLOWED PHONES, BUT NO TELEVISION

DR. WALLACE: My sister and I are home-schooled and we don't have a television in our house. There are many times I wish we had one since I like several TV shows that I see sometimes at my best friend's house.

What is strange is that my mom does allow us to have cellphones, but we can't have a TV.

We both have figured out where to watch videos and shows that we like on our phones. Some are via streaming and others via archived videos on various websites. My mom does check our phones occasionally, but she has never complained about what history she has seen on our phones. So why do you think she won't let us have a TV? — No TV for us, via email

NO TV FOR US: There could be many reasons for this, including the expense of a television itself, paying for a cable or streaming service, or simply that she wants you both to focus on your studies when you're home.

At least she provides you with modern phones to access information and shows you like to enjoy during your free time away from your studies.

Since you girls have a good and trusting relationship with your mother, I suggest you simply ask her politely and respectfully sometime about her primary reason for the lack of a TV in your home. I believe her answer will make sense to you and will also put the mystery to rest as well.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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