Hidden caffeine in popular evening treats, desserts, and beverages

By Jason Wooden, PhD | April 30, 2024

CONTENTS:

1) Why caffeine doesn’t always love us back…
2) What caffeine does to ruin your sleep
3) Caffeine amounts in popular evening treats and beverages
4) Don’t forget about the sugar!
5) Tips to stay out of caffeine trouble

As much as we love caffeine it’s doesn’t always love us back…

Who doesn’t love a fresh cup of tea or coffee to start the day?

As for myself, I also enjoy an occasional mocha as a special treat in the morning or later in the day.

And who can turn down a delicious slice of chocolate cake or bowl of chocolate ice cream for a late night snack?

Whether it’s in a beverage or food, caffeine is one of the most-used psychoactive substances in the world with 80% of individuals consuming it every day. 

According to a Food Insight survey, three in four caffeine consumers in the US have it at least once a day.  (I know people who have it way more than that.)

Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance that can be found in coffee beans, teas leaves, kola nuts, and cacao pods used to make chocolate.  It stimulates the central nervous system to make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy which is why it’s so popular.

Caffeine definitely has its benefits.  Besides mental alertness, it’s believed to help with depression, improve endurance and speed, and lower the risk for some types of cancers.

However, caffeine can also has some serious downsides, especially if you consume too much of it.

First there’s the well-known withdrawal symptoms – headaches, depressed mood, irritability, anxiousness, and nausea. It can also increase your blood pressure and may give you an upset stomach.

So, as much as we love caffeine, it doesn’t always love us back when you considers these possible side effects.

Unfortunately, that’s not all it’s doing to you.

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What caffeine in your favorite evening snack or drink does to wreck your sleep

Adenosine is a chemical in the body that works as a sleep factor.  It binds to nerve cells in the brain to slow down their activity and promote sleep.  This is why you feel drowsy.

It turns out caffeine and adenosine look similar to nerve cells.  So, the way caffeine promotes alertness is by blocking adenosine from doing its job.

This is why caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.  You may have unwanted trips during the night to the bathroom since it’s also a diuretic.

You may be getting a bigger hit of caffeine than you realize if there’s chocolate in your favorite evening snack, dessert, or drink.  As I mentioned earlier, there’s naturally occurring caffeine in cacao pods used to make chocolate.

So, you’re getting caffeine from the coffee and caffeine from the chocolate which can mean double trouble for your sleep.

Let’s take a look at the caffeine that’s in some popular evening foods and beverages.

That way you can see what you’re really up against.

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How much caffeine is in your favorite evening snacks, desserts, and beverages?

Below you’ll find estimated caffeine amounts for various foods and beverages.

Some important things to keep in mind:

• Caffeine amounts can vary depending on the recipe and ingredients used
• Dark chocolate has more caffeine than light chocolate
• Some coffee bean types have a higher caffeine content than others. 
• Light roasted beans are denser and will pack more caffeine than dark roasted.
• Some products don’t list the actual amounts which means you have to rely on tests and estimates from third parties

Lastly, your portion size can obviously make a big difference for how big a caffeine hit you get.

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Don’t forget about the sugar!

Caffeine isn’t the only thing in your favorite evening sweet treat or beverage that can affect your sleep.

Many popular evening treats are loaded with sugar.

A slice of chocolate cake can pack 11 grams of sugar!

A cup of mocha comes with 23 grams of sugar!

Unfortunately, refined carbs such as white sugar can spike your blood with sugar and there’s growing evidence linking them to poor sleep quality. 

Excessive sugar has also been linked to inflammation which can promote pain and stiffness which can make it extra hard to sleep.

Too much sugar + too much caffeine could spell double trouble for your sleep.

So, it’s really time to start paying more attention to the sugar in evening treats and drinks.

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Tips to stay out of caffeine trouble

There’s plenty you can do to keep caffeinated foods and beverages from ruining your sleep.

Try having them earlier in the evening and limiting your portion sizes.  If you’re really sensitive to caffeine, you may need to avoid these foods and beverages in the evening.

(I’ve learned the hard way not have any caffeine past early afternoon.)

Better yet, you can switch to healthier snacks and desserts made with decaf coffee or smaller amounts of caffeine.

Ditto for your favorite evening beverages.

And don’t forget about the caffeine you may get from other sneaky sources such as energy water, decaf coffee (yes, there’s still a little caffeine), and pain meds.

Lastly, try keeping the white sugar and other refined carbs on the light side.

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You may also be interested in:

The Older You Get the More Caffeine Can Get You

Why you need to take your obstructive sleep apnea and caffeine way more seriously

7 Foods That Can Wreck Your Sleep

Is it OK to have a beer before bed?

Is hot chocolate before bed bad or good for you?

On YouTube:

7 Foods That Can Ruin Your Sleep and Leave You Miserable (Insomniacs Beware!)

9 Delicious healthy desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth (without ruining your sleep)

15 Delicious sleep friendly bedtime snacks (that won’t ruin your night)

Sources:

Beverage caffeine intakes in the U.S. Food Chem Toxicol. 2014 Jan:63:136-42.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24189158/

Caffeine: Consumer Consumption Habits and Safety Perceptions, 2022, Food Insight
https://foodinsight.org/caffeine-consumer-consumption-habits-and-safety-perceptions/

Caffeine, MedlinePlus
https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html

What doctors wish patients knew about the impact of caffeine, 2024, American Medical Association website
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-impact-caffeine

What does caffeine do to your body?, 2023, MedicalNewsToday
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285194

Caffeine Withdrawal. StatPearls [Internet].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430790/

Adenosine, caffeine, and sleep–wake regulation: state of the science and perspectives. J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug; 31(4): e13597.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9541543/

Refined Carbs and Sugar: The Diet Saboteurs, HelpGuide.org
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-carbs.htm

Sugar and Sleep, Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas website
https://mana.md/sugar-and-sleep/

Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation. Front Immunol. 2022; 13: 988481.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9471313/

Caffeine estimates for foods:

Brownies
Sources: USDA, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Chocolate chip cookies
Sources: USDA

Chocolate cake (with frosting)
Sources: USDA

Chocolate cheesecake
Sources: nutritionvalue.org

Chocolate coated coffee beans
Sources: Dilettante Chocolate, Caffeine Informer, ChocoVivo

Chocolate covered almonds
Sources: nutritionvalue.org

Chocolate doughnut
Sources: nutritionvalue.org

Chocolate mousse
Sources: athleticmindedtraveler.com, drlisawatson.com

Chocolate pudding
Sources: USDA

Chocolate truffles
Sources: USDA

Coffee ice cream
Sources: bon appetit

Dark chocolate bar
Sources: Consumerlab.com, CSPI

Tiramisu cake
Sources: Caffeine Park, The Fork Bite

Caffeine estimates for beverages:

Coffee
Sources: USDA

Chocolate energy drink (Java Monster Mocha)
Sources: Caffeine Informer

Chocolate milk
Sources: USDA

Chocolate milkshake
Sources: USDA

Hot Chocolate
Sources: USDA

Mocha (Starbucks)
Sources: Starbucks.com

Soda, cola
Sources: MedlinePlus

Tea, black
Sources: MedlinePlus

Tea, green
Sources: USDA

Caffeine in beverages:

Coffee
Sources: USDA

Chocolate energy drink (Java Monster Mocha)
Sources: Caffeine Informer

Chocolate milk
Sources: USDA

Chocolate milkshake
Sources: USDA

Hot Chocolate
Sources: USDA

Mocha (Starbucks)
Sources: Starbucks.com

Soda, cola
Sources: MedlinePlus

Tea, black
Sources: MedlinePlus

Tea, green
Sources: USDA