Caffeine in Mountain Dew
A 330 ml can of Mountain Dew holds about 50 mg of caffeine, the most caffeinated mainstream soft drink.
| Caffeine per serving | 50 mg |
| Serving | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 15 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 12% |
| Equal to filter coffee | 0.5 mugs |
| Equal to espresso | 0.8 shots |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 2 hours |
How long does it last?
How late can you have it?
For an average metabolism this drops below the 40 mg sleep threshold about 2 hours after you drink it, so the latest you could have one and still be clear by an 11 pm bedtime is 8:58 pm. A fast metaboliser gains roughly two hours, a slow one loses two.
What to know
At roughly 15 mg per 100 ml, Mountain Dew is about 50 percent stronger than Coca-Cola. A 500 ml bottle comes to 75 mg, close to a Red Bull.
The gaming reputation is deserved. Mountain Dew is the soft drink most often consumed late at night, and it is the one with the most caffeine to carry into bedtime.
The Kickstart and Rise lines are energy drinks in a Dew wrapper, running from 90 mg to 180 mg a can.
Compared with the rest of the soft drinks
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Dew | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 50 mg |
| Diet Coke | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 42 mg |
| Dr Pepper | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 40 mg |
| Pepsi | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 36 mg |
| Coke Zero | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 33 mg |
| Coca-Cola | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 32 mg |
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Mountain Dew?
Mountain Dew has about 50 mg of caffeine per 11.2 oz can (330 ml). That is 12% of the 400 mg daily limit for a healthy adult, or about 0.5 mugs of filter coffee.
How long does the caffeine in Mountain Dew last?
It peaks about 45 minutes after you drink it and halves every 5.7 hours. For an average adult one 11.2 oz can takes about 2 hours to fall below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on.
How late can I drink Mountain Dew and still sleep?
For an 11 pm bedtime the latest is about 8:58 pm. Move it by the same amount as your own bedtime. People who clear caffeine slowly should stop about two hours earlier.
How many servings of Mountain Dew can I have in a day?
About 8, going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults. That limit covers everything else with caffeine in it too, so the real number is lower on a day with other coffee, tea or cola.
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Where these numbers come from
Caffeine content is the typical value for the serving shown, the same figure the Cira app uses. Brands and brew methods vary, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a measurement of your cup. The 5.7 hour half-life is a typical value for healthy adults, the 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. How the numbers are worked out.
