Caffeine

Caffeine intake limits:

Multiple sources in literature search quote that caffeine intake up to 300 mg per day is generally safe for healthy adults. Severe adverse reactions may occur with caffeine intake over 600 mg per day and death can occur with extremely high doses of caffeine if several grams or more are ingested. Caffeine intake in young children and adolescents should be limited much more than adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily. Younger children should not drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis (1).

Caffeine and adolescent health:

Consuming greater amounts of caffeine leads to shorter sleep duration, longer awake time, and increased sleep during the day, or napping, in adolescents. A total of 191 high school students took part in a 14-day study. Caffeine consumption ranged between 0 and 800 mg per day. The average over 2 weeks went up to 379.4 mg per day. Participants reported on the time they went to bed and woke up, any caffeine intake, and any naps they took. At the end of the study, the researchers found that teens with higher caffeine intake slept fewer hours at night and took more naps during the day than those who had less caffeine. (2)