Caffeine may disrupt the ability for children to sleep soundly

While researchers work to find out the real benefit of caffeine as a supplement, they have discovered it negatively affects the lives of children. Caffeine is often thought to be the cause of poor sleep patterns and bedwetting for children.

The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, discovered that 75 percent of children consume caffeine daily.

For the study, researchers asked parents of more than 200 children at a medical center in Nebraska about their daily diet and beverage intake. The children were between the ages of 5 and 12 years old.

Some parents reported their children, as young as 5 years old, to be drinking more than one can of soda per day. Also, parents of older children explained the caffeine intake to be greater in older children. On average, children between 8 and 12 years old drank more than 105 mg of caffeine each day — the equivalent of 3 cans of most caffeinated drinks.

While caffeine is a diuretic, this study disproved the original thoughts about its ability to increase the chances of a child wetting the bed. The study did not notice caffeine to increase incidences of bed wetting in these children.

Parents are urged to be more cautionary with the beverage options they provide for children. Caffeine can cause anxiety and feelings of stress if over consumed.