Regular caffeine consumption by adolescents (ages 13–18) poses a meaningful risk to their sleep, neurocognitive development, and behavioral health, and current consumption levels—with roughly 75–83% of teens consuming caffeine regularly—substantially exceed prudent limits given the evidence base.
Evidence (6)
Caffeine, Daytime Sleepiness, and Conduct Problems Among Early Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis
Longitudinal study of 2,633 middle school students found that caffeine consumption above 100 mg/day predicted linear increases in conduct problems over time, mediated by daytime sleepiness.
https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(24)00556-1/abstract
Examining recent effects of caffeine on default mode network and dorsal attention network anticorrelation in youth (2025)
Using ABCD Study data (N=4,673 early adolescents), found no association between caffeine and DMN-DAN anticorrelation specifically, but references prior ABCD findings that caffeine intake is negatively associated with cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and episodic memory in 9-10 year olds.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327385
Too Jittery to Sleep? Temporal Associations of Actigraphic Sleep and Caffeine in Adolescents
Actigraphy-based study found that on days adolescents consumed caffeinated beverages, they had later sleep onset and later wake times, and that more variable sleep patterns predicted higher odds of caffeine consumption, suggesting a reinforcing cycle.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8746933/
Energy Drinks and Kids: What You Need to Know - Johns Hopkins Medicine
Reports AACAP recommendation that adolescents 12-18 consume no more than 100 mg caffeine/day and avoid energy drinks entirely, and AAP position that energy drinks are not appropriate for children and adolescents.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/energy-drinks-and-kids
Secondary School Students and Caffeine: Consumption Habits, Motivations, and Experiences (2023)
Notes that adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to caffeine effects due to lack of tolerance, smaller body size, changing brain physiology, and increasing independence.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9965339/
Children should avoid drinks with sugar, caffeine - AAP News
AAP Committee on Nutrition member states energy drinks cause anxiety, hyperactivity, inattention, and have profound negative impact on sleep; 30-50% of teens report consuming energy drinks despite AAP recommendation against them.
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/27276/Children-should-avoid-drinks-with-sugar-caffeine
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