How much

How much caffeine can a teenager have?

By GyroscopeUpdated November 15, 202610 sources

At most 100 mg a day for ages 12 to 18, about one 8 oz coffee, and no energy drinks at all. That’s what pediatricians suggest, according to a 2026 sheet from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). For children under 12, they advise against routine caffeine.

The FDA sets no caffeine number for children or teens, so a lot of parents never hear a firm one. The FDA does say medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens “because of the levels of sugar and caffeine”. The American Academy of Pediatrics put it more bluntly in 2011, writing that the caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks “have no place in the diet of children and adolescents”. Its 2025 guide for parents says avoiding caffeine is “the best choice for all kids”, and warns that caffeine pouches can hold up to 200 mg and have no age limit on sale (are caffeine pouches safe?).

We think one energy drink is already over a teen’s day, and that’s the simplest rule to give a teenager. A Monster has 160 mg and a CELSIUS 200, so one can is one and a half to two times the line.

What fits in 100 mg

AACAP’s sheet puts 100 mg at “about two 12 oz cans of cola”. By Coca-Cola’s numbers two cans of Coke come to 68 mg, so there’s room to spare. Either way, the cans of soda fit and the cans of energy drink don’t.

Why the line is lower for teens

AACAP lists what too much caffeine can do to children and teens. In the short term that includes trouble sleeping, jitters or anxiety, headache, nausea and dizziness. Over time it lists sleep problems, irritability, needing more caffeine for the same effect and withdrawal when they stop. With energy drinks, one can holds a whole day’s worth or more.

Caffeine and a school night

A teen who goes to sleep at 11pm and has a Coke at 3pm still has about 12 mg in them at bedtime, which is small. A 16 oz coffee at the same time would leave about 70 mg. The size of the drink and the time of day decide how much of it reaches the night.

Check a day

The how much is too much tool has a 12 to 18 setting that shows the day’s drinks against the 100 mg line. The drinks tool has every can to scale, which is useful when a teenager asks why a Red Bull is off the list and a Coke isn’t.