Read the ingredient list, then the caffeine figure, and let the artwork say nothing. FDA describes 400 milligrams a day, about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, and a 12-ounce (355 ml) cup of black tea holds 71 mg of it. The condition that changes the reading: a blend with no number on the box is not a blend with no caffeine. The list decides.
The name on the front is not an ingredient
A moon, a deep blue box and the word "night" are design. The ingredient list is the product. Name exactly what is in your hand: black tea, green tea, an herbal blend, cocoa, decaf coffee, or something with six plants in it.
FDA's labeling rule says how much the package owes you. Caffeine appears in the list of ingredients when it is added to a product as a stand-alone ingredient, an amount is not required, and caffeine occurring naturally inside an ingredient such as tea or cocoa need not be called out at all. A missing number is a missing number.
What the figures actually are
FDA publishes ranges for a 12-fluid-ounce (355 ml) serving, which is the useful basis because it is one mug.
Scroll sideways to see the full table →
| Drink, 12 fl oz (355 ml) | Caffeine | What moves the figure |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeinated soft drink | 23 to 83 mg | Brand and formulation |
| Green tea | 37 mg | Leaf and brewing |
| Black tea | 71 mg | Leaf and brewing |
| Brewed coffee | 113 to 247 mg | Bean, grind and method |
| Energy drink | 41 to 246 mg | Added caffeine, listed as an ingredient |
Decaf settles the argument about restful packaging. FDA states that decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 milligrams in an 8-fluid-ounce cup: less, and not none. Ranges are not promises. At the far end, FDA notes toxic effects such as seizures observed with rapid consumption of around 1,200 milligrams.
Caffeine outlasts the cup
NHLBI gives the timing in one line: the effects of caffeine can last up to 8 hours, which is why a late-afternoon coffee is still in the evening.
An example built only from those published figures. A 12-ounce brewed coffee at the top of FDA's range is 247 mg; a 12-ounce black tea at 9 p.m. adds 71 mg; the day totals 318 mg, inside FDA's 400 mg. Run NHLBI's 8 hours forward from the 9 p.m. tea and you arrive at 5 a.m. That is arithmetic about a cup, not a cutoff for a person: FDA's figure is a daily amount for most adults and says nothing about medication, pregnancy or individual sensitivity, which belong with a clinician.
When the drink and the bedtime keep colliding, the two needs are worth separating before the beverage is.
Sugar hides in the calming drinks
Cocoa mixes, chai concentrates and golden-milk blends carry added sugars that plain tea does not. FDA's label guidance gives the yardstick: the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g, and 5 percent DV or less per serving is low while 20 percent DV or more is high.
Check the mug, not the packet. Compare the panel's serving with what you actually pour. One packet at 20 percent DV is 10 g of added sugar, and two packets in a large mug is 20 g, which is 40 percent of the day's value before dinner. Reading at the amount you actually use rather than the printed serving works the same way on a drink mix.
Fill in six lines, then decide
Write the exact product name and version. Copy the ingredient list, marking anything you do not recognize. Copy the maker's caffeine amount with its serving basis, or write "not found". Note the preparation directions for the drink you will actually make. Name what you like about it: flavor, warmth, the mug, the company. End with the one question you still have.
Never carry a number across brands. A figure printed for one maker's chamomile does not describe another's evening blend, and a category average is a guess wearing a decimal point. A photograph of the package does the transcribing for you.
A card that ends in "not found" is a finished card. Drink it anyway, ask the manufacturer, or pour water and keep the same chair, the same hour and the same reason you wanted the pause.
Sources and further reading
- Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?Accessed 2026-09-17
- How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts LabelAccessed 2026-09-17
- Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency: Healthy Sleep HabitsAccessed 2026-09-17