Is your day too much caffeine?
For most adults, 400 mg a day isn't generally linked to negative effects. Add your day and see where you stand for your group, in cups.
285mg today
As much as 3 cups of 8 oz coffee, or 4.5 espresso shots.
It leaves about 83 mg when you fall asleep at 11:00pm, from the times on the clock.
Healthy adults: 400 mg a day is "not generally associated with negative effects", the FDA says, about two to three 12 oz cups of coffee.
Brewed coffee, 8 oz95 mg each1
Brewed coffee, 16 oz190 mg each1
What your result means
- Under your line: the day is fine on the total. Check the bedtime number under it, since a big cup late in the day still costs sleep.
- Over your line: take the latest drinks off first. They push you over the line and they're still in you at bedtime, so one change fixes both.
- Pregnant: under 200 mg a day is ACOG's line. Late in pregnancy caffeine also clears about three times slower, so morning cups suit you best. Talk with your doctor or midwife about yours.
- 12 to 18, or under 12: pediatricians suggest at most 100 mg a day for teens, no energy drinks, and no routine caffeine under 12. A can of Coke or a cup of tea fits, an energy drink doesn't.
What to do next
- Swap before you cut. An 8 oz coffee for the 16 oz, a tea for the afternoon coffee, decaf for the last one. Caffeine in your drink has every size side by side.
- Over by a lot every day? Step down a quarter every 3 days with the step-down planner, which skips most of the headache.
- Then check the times on the cutoff clock, which uses the same drinks.
The lines, by group
| Who | Line | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy adults | 400 mg a day is "not generally associated with negative effects", the FDA says, about two to three 12 oz cups of coffee | FDA |
| Pregnant | Under 200 mg a day, by ACOG's guidance | ACOG Committee Opinion 462 |
| Breastfeeding | About 300 mg a day or less counts as low to moderate, the CDC says, about 2 to 3 cups of coffee | CDC |
| Ages 12 to 18 | At most 100 mg a day, about two 12 oz cans of cola, and no energy drinks | AACAP Facts for Families No. 131 and the AAP |
| Under 12 | Pediatricians advise against routine caffeine for children under 12 | AACAP Facts for Families No. 131 |
The FDA's 400 mg is "an amount not generally associated with negative effects", not a recommended limit. For children and teens the FDA sets no level, and medical experts advise against energy drinks for them.
The real danger is powder
Drinks rarely get anywhere near a dangerous amount. Rapid intake of around 1,200 mg can cause seizures, the FDA says, and that's less than half a teaspoon of pure caffeine powder. Don't keep pure caffeine powder at home.
If someone may have had too much, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, free and confidential. For collapse, a seizure, trouble breathing or someone who can't be woken, call 911.
Time matters too
A day under the line can still cost sleep if the big cup comes late. The cutoff clock uses the same drinks and times.
7 sources
- US Food and Drug Administration, Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? Content current as of August 28, 2024fda.gov
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Committee Opinion No. 462: Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2010pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maternal Diet (breastfeeding), reviewed August 25, 2026cdc.gov
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Facts for Families No. 131: Caffeine and Children, April 2026aacap.org
- American Academy of Pediatrics, clinical report, Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate? Pediatrics, 2011pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Poison Control, National Capital Poison Centerpoison.org
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: brewed coffee (171890), espresso (171891), brewed black tea (173227) and brewed green tea (171917)fdc.nal.usda.gov
