Approximately 80 percent of adult Americans consume caffeine every day to help them wake up and concentrate better, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A moderate dose of caffeine-about 100 to 200 mg a day--may not cause harmful effects, but 600 mg or more per day is too much. Unwelcome side effects may include tiredness or fatigue, jitteriness, difficulty sleeping, irregular or faster heartbeat, headache, dizziness, dehydration, and raised blood pressure.
Caffeine
Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants, such as tea leaves, kola nuts, coffee beans and cacao pods, according to the FDA. Coffee, chocolate, tea, cola drinks and other products made from these plants contain varying amounts of caffeine. A 5-oz. serving of coffee, for example, contains 60 to 150 mg of caffeine, whereas a serving of tea contains 60 to 80 mg.
Sleep Problems
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, including the brain. If you drink coffee, tea or high-caffeine sodas all day or right before bedtime, you may have trouble nodding off, sleeping deeply enough or staying asleep long enough to feel rested the next day. Even limiting your caffeine intake to the morning hours may disturb your sleep that night, according to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Kids who drink high-caffeine sodas experience the same effect, resulting in tiredness and inattention at school the next day.
Withdrawal Symptoms
People who consume caffeine regularly, even as little as one serving of coffee a day, may develop an addiction to the substance. If they stop suddenly, the resulting caffeine withdrawal can cause mild-to-severe fatigue, drowsiness, headache, mood changes, problems with concentration and flu-like symptoms, says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., lead researcher in a study published in the October 2004 issue of "Psychopharmacology." The symptoms are worse during the first 24 to 48 hours but may last up to nine days.
Coping
If your caffeine intake causes sleep problems that make you feel tired the next day, try cutting back gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms that may make you feel worse. If you drink coffee throughout the day, try cutting out the last cup of the day or using half-caffeinated coffee. Tea drinkers can try brewing their drinks for less time, which reduces the caffeine content. Over time, continue cutting back until you reach a moderate level of intake or cut it out entirely.
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