Kids getting caffeine every day? This study says yes, and it’s not such a good thing

Kids might be getting more caffeine than parents realize -- and it might be keeping them up at night. Seventy-five percent of children surveyed in a new study were found to have consumed caffeine every day.

Researchers also found -- no surprise here -- that the more caffeine a kid had, the less they slept. Parents of more than 200 children 5 to 12 years old answered questions on the types of snacks and beverages their kids had each day.

Here’s what the report on this data says: “Children aged 5 to 7 years old consumed approximately 52 mg of caffeine per day, and children aged 8 to 12 years old consumed approximately 109 mg.” Here’s an abstract and the full report by the University of Nebraska Medical Center published Thursday in the Journal of Pediatrics.

So how much caffeine is too much for kids? Children’s Hospital St. Louis points out that the U.S. has no caffeine guidelines, but Canada suggests these daily limits:

4–6 years 45 milligrams per day
7–9 years 62.5 milligrams per day 10–12 years 85 milligrams per day

For parents, it pays to know where all the caffeine is coming from. Check out this database of the amount of caffeine in foods and in drinks. And this Los Angeles Times story explains why experts want caffeine content on food labels.

Keep an eye on the caffeine because, really, who wants their kids up all night?