Caffeine in soft drinks
A can of cola carries 32 to 50 mg, about half an espresso. Small enough to ignore once, large enough to matter at four cans a day.
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Time to clear | Latest for an 11 pm bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Dew | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 50 mg | 2 hours | 8:58 pm |
| Diet Coke | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 42 mg | 45 minutes | 10:15 pm |
| Dr Pepper | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 40 mg | already clear | any time |
| Pepsi | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 36 mg | already clear | any time |
| Coke Zero | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 33 mg | already clear | any time |
| Coca-Cola | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 32 mg | already clear | any time |
Colas are the quiet contributor. Nobody plans their sleep around a Coke, but a can at 9 pm is still 32 mg arriving right before bed, and the sugar-free versions are not caffeine free. Diet Coke actually carries more caffeine than regular Coca-Cola, which surprises most people. Mountain Dew leads the category at roughly 50 mg per 330 ml.
Mountain Dew
50mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
Diet Coke
42mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
Dr Pepper
40mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
Pepsi
36mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
Coke Zero
33mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
Coca-Cola
32mg
11.2 oz can (330 ml)
How late can you have one?
Half-life 5.7 h · peak at 45 min · sleep threshold 40 mgAt bedtime
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Below 40 mg at
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Latest for tonight
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