Sleep & Caffeine

It's tough to tell how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee. The way it's prepared, the type of bean used... all can impact the total caffeine content. Caffeine is often found in many students' coffee mugs on a daily basis, as it's a stimulant that promotes alertness to get them through the long days and nights. However, that's no help when they're trying to get some good sleep! Caffeine can make it difficult for students to fall asleep plus it can reduce the amount of deep sleep that they get. It takes about 30 to 60 minutes to reach a peak level in the blood, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and the effects can last from 8 to 14 hours.

So, the AASM recommends that caffeine consumption be limited to no more than 300 to 400 mg. per day (about 3-4 cups of coffee). It's also a good idea to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening if students want to get a good night's sleep. Now, wouldn't that be nice?

Check out the comprehensive table of how much caffeine is in various products, from soft drinks to medications to chocolate ice cream.