Caffeine Linked To Childhood Sleep Problems, But Not Bedwetting

Seventy-five percent of children surveyed by U.S. researchers consumed caffeine on a daily basis, usually in soft drinks, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept. However, even though caffeine is a diuretic, it was not linked to bedwetting. The researchers surveyed the parents of more than 200 children five to 12 years old about the types and amounts of snacks and beverages their children consumed each day. The researchers found that some children as young as five consumed the equivalent of a can of soda a day, but older children drank more caffeinated beverages. Children between the ages of eight and 12 years consumed an average of 109 mg of caffeine a day, equivalent to nearly three 12-ounce cans of soda.