When schedules fill up, sleep is often first thing to go. When you wake up groggy the next morning, you may reach for a jolt of caffeine to get your day started.
Having caffeine in moderation won’t harm you. In fact, in small amounts caffeine can help boost your alertness, concentration and energy levels. However, if you rely on caffeine too often, you may feel you need caffeine just to get through the day.
Your body doesn’t need caffeine for nutrition. However, the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs states that moderate tea or coffee drinking likely has no negative health effects, as long as you live an otherwise healthy lifestyle.
A moderate amount of caffeine per day is 400 milligrams or less (about four 8-ounce cups of coffee). Be sure to drink at least one cup of water for every cup of caffeinated beverage you drink to avoid getting dehydrated.
If you regularly consume more caffeine than that, you may begin needing it to feel awake or alert. If you’ve reached this level, a day without caffeine can make you feel withdrawal symptoms such as headache, dizziness, drowsiness, shakiness and depression.
Large amounts of caffeine may decrease bone density, which may lead to osteoporosis. Additionally, caffeine can worsen some nervous disorders, affect certain heart conditions and interact with some medications. Caffeine may also disrupt sleep or make it hard to fall asleep.
U.S. food, drink and supplement product labels don’t have to state how much caffeine a product contains. You might be getting more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day without even knowing it! Consider these caffeine sources:
Keep in mind that many foods and drinks with high caffeine contents, such as colas and energy drinks, also contain a lot of sugar and empty calories
Caffeine isn’t considered an addictive drug, such as cocaine, heroin or alcohol, because it doesn’t produce the same compulsive, drug-seeking behavior.
However, like addictive drugs, caffeine produces greater tolerance in people who consume it regularly. These users must take higher doses to achieve past results, and they may experience withdrawal symptoms if they don’t regularly consume caffeine.
If you drink caffeine because you’re often tired, the best way to overcome exhaustion is to get enough sleep. However, if sleeping more isn’t possible, you can do other things to feel energized without guzzling coffee and energy drinks.
If you want to cut back on caffeine, do it slowly. Try substituting your daily caffeine boost with caffeine-free tea, milk, juice, a piece of gum or (better yet) water. Drinking more water will keep you better hydrated, which helps keep your energy level up.
The first few days of cutting back may be tough because your body has gotten used to a lot of caffeine, but hold steady and in a few days your mood will settle and your energy levels will increase.
Youth reviewer: Trinh Tran
Reviewed by: Sharanjit Dosanjh, R.N.
Last reviewed: October 2019