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In your body now
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Left at bedtime
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Below 50 mg at
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Total today

Caffeine content of common drinks

DrinkCaffeine (mg)Left after 8 h*
Brewed coffee (240 ml)9531
Espresso shot6321
Double espresso12642
Cold brew (470 ml)20066
Latte / cappuccino7525
Instant coffee6220
Black tea4716
Green tea289
Matcha (1 tsp)7023
Cola (330 ml)3411
Energy drink (250 ml)8026
Energy drink (500 ml)16053
Pre-workout scoop20066
Dark chocolate (50 g)4013

*With an average 5-hour half-life. Values are typical; brands and brew strength vary widely.

How it works

Each drink is absorbed over roughly 45 minutes and then eliminated exponentially with the half-life you choose (a one-compartment model). The 50 mg line is a practical sleep-friendly threshold, not a medical cut-off. This is an estimate for information only. All calculations happen in your browser.

How long does caffeine stay in your system?

Caffeine has an average half-life of about 5 hours in healthy adults, with a normal range of roughly 3 to 7 hours. After two half-lives a quarter of the dose is still active, so a 3 pm coffee can still be working at 11 pm.

When should I stop drinking coffee before bed?

A common guideline is at least 8 hours before bedtime. In a sleep-lab study, 400 mg taken even 6 hours before bed cut total sleep by about an hour. Use the calculator to find when your own total drops below a sleep-friendly level.

How much caffeine per day is safe?

For healthy adults, up to 400 mg a day is generally considered safe (FDA, EFSA), with no more than about 200 mg at once. During pregnancy the usual advice is to stay under 200 mg a day. Sensitivity varies a lot between people.

What affects caffeine half-life?

Smoking speeds it up (around 3 hours). Pregnancy, oral contraceptives, liver conditions and some medications slow it down, sometimes to 10 hours or more. Genetics (the CYP1A2 enzyme) also make some people fast or slow metabolisers.