--- title: Does Coffee or Caffeine Stunt Your Growth? What Research Shows description: No, coffee and caffeine don’t stunt kids’ growth at normal intake. A LIFE pediatric endocrinologist explains the research, sleep, and safe limits. image: https://24027084.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24027084/Coffee%20cup%20beside%20a%20glass%20of%20milk%2c%20with%20a%20child%E2%80%99s%20height%20marks%20on%20a%20doorframe%2c%20illustrating%20whether%20coffee%20stunts%20growth.png --- [![LIFE\_Pediatric\_CBP\_white](https://lifeendo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_white.png?width=477&height=111&name=LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_white.png "LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_white")](https://lifeendo.com/) [![LIFE\_Pediatric\_CBP\_full\_color.](https://lifeendo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_full_color..png?width=477&height=111&name=LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_full_color..png "LIFE_Pediatric_CBP_full_color.")](https://lifeendo.com/) - [About](https://lifeendo.com/about) - [Meet Your Providers](https://lifeendo.com/about) - [Locations](https://lifeendo.com/locations) - [FAQ](https://lifeendo.com/faq) - Services ### General Endocrine Care - - Early Puberty - Poor Growth - Thyroid Problems - - Type 1 Diabetes - Adrenal insufficiency - Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Medical Weight Loss [Visit The Store](https://lifeendo.com/redirecting-to-supplement-store) - [Blog](https://lifeendo.com/blog) - [Patients](https://lifeendo.com/patients) - [Store](https://lifeendo.com/redirecting-to-supplement-store) [Inquire Here](https://lifeendo.com/contact-weight-loss) [Inquire Here](https://lifeendo.com/contact) - [About](https://lifeendo.com/about) - [Locations](https://lifeendo.com/locations) - [Medical Weight Loss](https://lifeendo.com/medical-weight-loss) - [FAQ](https://lifeendo.com/faq) - [Blog](https://lifeendo.com/blog) - [Patients](https://lifeendo.com/patients) - [Store](https://lifeendo.com/redirecting-to-supplement-store) [Inquire Here](https://lifeendo.com/contact-weight-loss) [Growth](https://lifeendo.com/blog/tag/growth) # Does Coffee or Caffeine Stunt Your Growth? What Research Shows [![Dr. Payal Patel](https://24027084.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/24027084/hubfs/dr-payal-patel-pediatric-endocrinologist.png?width=40&height=40&name=dr-payal-patel-pediatric-endocrinologist.png)](https://lifeendo.com/blog/author/dr-payal-patel) by [Dr. Payal Patel](https://lifeendo.com/blog/author/dr-payal-patel) 11 min read Nov 12, 2026 # Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth? What Parents Should Know About Caffeine, Sleep, and Height ## The Short Answer **No. Coffee and caffeine do not stunt growth in children or teens at the amounts most kids actually drink.** Studies that followed teenagers found no link between caffeine and bone growth, bone density, or body size. The myth traces back to animal studies that used doses about 50 times higher than any child would drink, and to older research in which coffee was quietly replacing milk. **The more useful question is sleep.** Most teens reach for coffee because they are tired. Afternoon and evening caffeine shortens and fragments sleep, and deep sleep is when the body releases its largest pulse of growth hormone. Research has not proven that everyday teen sleep loss lowers adult height, but it is the more credible path connecting coffee to growth. **If your child's growth has slowed, coffee is rarely the reason.** A slowing growth pattern deserves a careful evaluation, not a guess. ## Where the "Coffee Stunts Your Growth" Myth Came From The idea sounds like old family wisdom, but it rests on two kinds of evidence that do not apply to a teenager with a morning latte. **The first is animal research at extreme doses.** In young rats, caffeine at 120 to 180 mg per kilogram of body weight per day shortened the long bones and slowed bone growth at the growth plate, the cartilage zone near the ends of bones where height is added. The higher dose sat just below the median lethal dose for rats \[1\]. Even after adjusting for the differences between rats and people, those doses equal roughly 900 to 1,300 mg of caffeine a day for a 100-pound teen, about 8 to 12 times the limit suggested for children and teens \[1, 2\]. **The second is older bone research that missed what was not in the glass.** Caffeine causes only a very small drop in calcium absorption, fully offset by 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, and it does not change how much calcium leaves the body in urine \[3\]. When early studies linked caffeinated drinks to weaker bones, the likely explanation was that coffee and soda were replacing milk \[3\]. **That distinction matters at home.** The drink itself is rarely the problem. What it pushes off the menu can be. ## What Research in Children and Teens Actually Shows **No human study has shown that caffeine at typical amounts makes children or teens shorter.** The strongest evidence comes from studies of bone growth and bone density, which reflect the same process that adds height. - **Teen bone growth.** The Penn State Young Women's Health Study followed 81 girls from age 12 to 18. Caffeine intake was not linked to total body bone gain or hip bone density at 18, and body measurements did not differ between intake groups \[4\]. Intakes were modest; the highest group averaged 77 mg a day. - **Bone density.** An analysis of U.S. national survey data (NHANES), paired with Mendelian randomization, a genetic method that helps separate cause from coincidence, found no association and no causal link between caffeine and bone density in children and teens \[5\]. - **Calcium balance.** Caffeine's effect on calcium is small, and a splash of milk offsets it \[3\]. - **One dissenting review.** A 2020 systematic review of children under 12 concluded that caffeine can hamper growth and development, so the literature is not unanimous \[6\]. **An honest caveat:** no study has followed caffeine-drinking teens all the way to their adult height. The reassurance rests mainly on bone growth and bone density data, and those studies point consistently in the same direction. ### The One Caffeine-and-Height Link That Holds Up: Pregnancy Higher caffeine levels during pregnancy have been associated with shorter children, with lower height scores at about ages 7 and 8, even at low maternal intake \[7\]. That is exposure before birth, not a child drinking coffee, but it is worth knowing for expecting parents. ## The Real Growth Question: Sleep Teens rarely drink coffee for the flavor alone. They drink it because they are tired, and that is where the growth conversation becomes more meaningful. **Growth hormone is released mainly during deep sleep.** The largest pulse arrives shortly after falling asleep, during the first period of slow-wave sleep, and the amount released tracks how much slow-wave sleep a child gets \[8\]. A night without sleep nearly eliminates that pulse, and ongoing sleep restriction lowers it too \[9\]. The body does try to make up the difference. After a single lost night, growth hormone rebounds above normal on the next night of recovery sleep. After weeks of short sleep, recovery sleep only returns it to baseline \[9\]. **So does short sleep make children shorter? The research is mixed.** | Study | Children studied | What it found | | --- | --- | --- | | Japan Environment and Children's Study | Toddlers | 11.5 or more hours of nighttime sleep at 18 months was linked to tall stature at age 3 (adjusted odds ratio 1.25). Shorter sleep was not linked to short stature \[10\]. | | Swiss cohort | 305 children, ages 1 to 10 | No association between sleep and height at any age \[10\]. | | England and Scotland cohort | 5,145 children, ages 5 to 11 | Only weak, inconsistent associations \[10\]. | | Two Australian schools | 63 thirteen-year-olds | Night owls with little chance to sleep in grew more slowly, yet growth also slowed over the holidays despite longer sleep \[11\]. | **The bottom line:** sleep loss clearly lowers growth hormone in the short term, but research has not shown that typical teen sleep debt lowers adult height. The link is plausible, not proven. ## How Coffee and Sleep Feed Each Other in Teens **If coffee affects growth at all, the more credible route runs through sleep, not bones.** In a study of 98 teens ages 11 to 17 who wore home sleep EEG monitors for a week, caffeine was linked to taking longer to fall asleep, less total sleep, less efficient sleep, and less REM sleep. Afternoon and evening caffeine drove the effect \[12\]. Lower sleep efficiency also predicted more afternoon caffeine the next day, though most sleep measures did not \[12\]. Many families will recognize the loop: a late-afternoon latte, a later bedtime, a groggy morning, and another coffee by lunch. **Most teens are already short on sleep.** The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend 8 to 10 hours a night for ages 13 to 18. In 2023, 76.8% of U.S. high school students fell short \[13\]. Short sleep in teens is more firmly tied to mood, focus, school performance, and weight than to height \[14\]. ### Where Sleep Clearly Does Affect Growth: Snoring and Sleep Apnea **Disrupted breathing during sleep is different from simply sleeping too little.** In a randomized trial of children ages 3 to 12 with mild sleep-disordered breathing, those who had their tonsils and adenoids removed gained 2.74 more height percentile points at 12 months than those assigned to watchful waiting \[15\]. Low oxygen, inflammation, and the extra work of breathing at night likely contribute, so these results do not apply to ordinary short sleep \[15\]. **A child who snores most nights, or seems to pause breathing during sleep, deserves an evaluation rather than a wait-and-see approach.** ## How Much Caffeine Is Safe for Kids and Teens? **Research reviews support a limit of about 2.5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day for children and teens** \[2\]. The European Food Safety Authority proposes up to 3 mg/kg/day \[16\], and the American Academy of Pediatrics is cited as recommending no more than 100 mg a day for children over 12 \[17\]. Federal dietary guidance says children under 2 should have no caffeine at all \[18\]. | Child's weight | Daily limit at 2.5 mg/kg | | --- | --- | | 50 lb (23 kg) | About 57 mg | | 75 lb (34 kg) | About 85 mg | | 100 lb (45 kg) | About 113 mg | | 125 lb (57 kg) | About 142 mg | | 150 lb (68 kg) | About 170 mg | **For most teens, 100 mg a day is the simpler and more conservative ceiling.** Now compare that to what is in the cup. These are the FDA's typical ranges \[18\]: | Drink (12 oz unless noted) | Typical caffeine | | --- | --- | | Regular brewed coffee | 113 to 247 mg | | Energy drink | 41 to 246 mg (54 to 328 mg in a 16 oz can) | | Caffeinated soda | 23 to 83 mg | | Black tea | 71 mg | | Green tea | 37 mg | | Decaf coffee (8 oz) | 2 to 15 mg | **A single 12-ounce coffee can exceed a teen's entire daily limit.** That, far more than any effect on height, is the practical reason to pay attention. ### Simple Guidance for Families - **Keep caffeine to the morning.** In teens, afternoon and evening caffeine drove the effects on sleep \[12\]. - **Count every source.** Soda, tea, energy drinks, chocolate, and some bars, gums, and supplements all contain caffeine \[18\]. - **Leave energy drinks on the shelf.** The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against them for children and teens because of their sugar and caffeine \[18\]. - **Protect the milk.** If coffee is replacing milk or other calcium sources, that matters more for bones than the caffeine does \[3\]. - **Treat the tiredness, not just the symptom.** A teen who needs caffeine to get through the day is telling you something about their sleep. Look at bedtime, screens, schedules, and snoring. ## When Slower Growth Deserves a Closer Look **Coffee is almost never the reason a child stops growing well. When growth slows, there is usually a reason worth finding, and the earlier it is found, the more options a family has.** Consider a specialist evaluation if your child: - **Is crossing percentile lines downward** on their growth chart, or is growing noticeably more slowly than classmates. - **Seems early or late for puberty**, or is much shorter than you would expect from your family's heights. - **Snores most nights, wakes unrefreshed, or relies on caffeine** to get through the school day. **Waiting rarely helps.** Growth runs on a timeline. Once the growth plates close, the window to help a child reach their full height closes with it, which is why LIFE does not treat "wait and see" as a plan. ### How LIFE Approaches a Child's Growth At LIFE Pediatric Endocrinology, a first consultation lasts 120 minutes or more. LIFE-trained pediatric endocrinologists look at the whole child: growth history, bone age, labs, nutrition, sleep, and the hormones that drive growth. In the first 90 days, families typically complete at least two rounds of labs as we optimize each child both functionally and medically. Every family has 24/7 direct access to their child's physician by text, call, or email, and new families are typically seen within one to two weeks. Our physicians bring more than 50 years of combined clinical experience. LIFE is a national practice, with offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, Atlanta, Austin, and Nashville and telemedicine care for families across the country. **Optimizing your child's true genetic potential starts with a conversation.** [Schedule a consultation with LIFE](https://lifeendo.com/contact) or call **855-606-5433 (855.606.LIFE)**. Related reading from LIFE: [What causes a child to grow poorly in height](https://lifeendo.com/blog/what-causes-a-child-to-grow-poorly-in-height), [Does Accutane stunt growth in kids and teens?](https://lifeendo.com/blog/does-accutane-stunt-growth-in-kids-and-teens-what-parents-should-know), and [Puberty in boys](https://lifeendo.com/blog/puberty-in-boys). ### About the Author **Dr. Payal Patel, MD**, is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist at LIFE Pediatric Endocrinology, where she focuses on integrative growth and puberty care. Her evaluations look beyond the height measurement to the nutrition, lifestyle, sleep, and metabolic and inflammatory factors that shape how a child grows. Before joining LIFE, she practiced pediatric endocrinology in Arizona at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Banner Health. [Read Dr. Patel's full bio](https://lifeendo.com/about-dr-payal-patel). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does coffee stunt a 13-year-old's growth? **No.** At typical amounts, caffeine has not been shown to reduce height or bone growth in teens \[4, 5\]. A 13-year-old who drinks coffee should keep it to about 100 mg a day, and to the morning, so it does not cut into sleep \[12, 17\]. ### Is it okay for a 12-year-old to drink coffee? **An occasional small coffee is unlikely to affect growth, but there is little upside.** At 2.5 mg/kg/day, an 88-pound child's limit is about 100 mg, which is less than one 12-ounce brewed coffee \[2, 18\]. ### Is caffeine okay for a 14-year-old? **In moderation, yes.** Up to about 100 mg a day is the commonly cited ceiling for teens over 12 \[17\]. Keep it early in the day and skip energy drinks. ### Do energy drinks stunt your growth? **No study shows that energy drinks reduce height, but they are a poor choice for children and teens.** A single can may hold up to 246 mg of caffeine in 12 ounces, or 328 mg in 16 ounces, more than three times the 100 mg ceiling for teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against them \[18\], and a 2026 review of 39 teens with caffeine-related heart rhythm changes identified energy drinks, caffeine pills, and powders as the sources \[17\]. ### Does staying up late stunt your growth? **Not in any way research has proven.** Deep sleep triggers the body's largest growth hormone pulse, and sleep loss lowers it in the short term \[8, 9\]. Studies have not shown that ordinary late nights reduce adult height, but 8 to 10 hours a night remains the goal for teens \[10, 11, 13\]. ### Does decaf coffee stunt your growth? **No.** Decaf coffee typically contains 2 to 15 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup \[18\], far too little to affect growth. ### Can coffee make you taller? **No drink makes a child taller.** Height is shaped by genetics, nutrition, sleep, overall health, and the hormones that drive growth. What coffee can do is crowd out milk and protein, or crowd out sleep, which is why it deserves a place in the conversation \[3, 12\]. ### What can actually stunt a child's growth? **Medical causes are far more likely than anything in a coffee cup.** Hormone conditions, chronic illness, undernutrition, and untreated sleep-disordered breathing can all slow growth \[15\]. If your child's growth has slowed, an evaluation is the fastest way to an answer. Learn more about [what causes a child to grow poorly in height](https://lifeendo.com/blog/what-causes-a-child-to-grow-poorly-in-height). ### At what age can kids drink coffee? **There is no official age.** Children under 2 should have no caffeine \[18\], and about 100 mg a day is the commonly cited limit after age 12 \[17\]. Before then, decaf, or a splash of coffee in a cup of milk, is a gentler way to share the ritual. ## References 1. Shin J, et al. [High doses of caffeine reduce in vivo osteogenic activity in prepubertal rats](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4475355/). *Journal of Anatomy*. 2015. 2. Wikoff D, et al. [Systematic review of the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption in healthy adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691517301709). *Food and Chemical Toxicology*. 2017. 3. Heaney RP. [Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12204390/). *Food and Chemical Toxicology*. 2002. 4. Lloyd T, et al. [Dietary caffeine intake is not correlated with adolescent bone gain](https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.1998.10718793). *Journal of the American College of Nutrition*. 1998. 5. Cui A, et al. [Association between caffeine consumption and bone mineral density in children and adolescents: observational and Mendelian randomization study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10309635/). *PLoS One*. 2023. 6. Torres-Ugalde YC, et al. [Caffeine consumption in children: innocuous or deleterious? A systematic review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7177467/). *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health*. 2020. 7. Gleason JL, et al. [Association of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy with child growth](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36315142/). *JAMA Network Open*. 2022. 8. Van Cauter E, Plat L, Copinschi G. [Interrelations between sleep and the somatotropic axis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9779515/). *Sleep*. 1998. 9. Bioletto F, et al. [Central and peripheral regulation of the GH/IGF-1 axis: GHRH and beyond](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-024-09933-6). *Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders*. 2025. 10. Kawai M, et al. [Association of nighttime sleep duration at 1.5 years with height at 3 years: the Japan Environment and Children's Study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12086428/). *Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism*. 2025. 11. Agostini A, et al. [Changes in growth and sleep across school nights, weekends and a winter holiday period in two Australian schools](https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2018.1430037). *Chronobiology International*. 2018. 12. Lunsford-Avery JR, et al. [Impact of daily caffeine intake and timing on electroencephalogram-measured sleep in adolescents](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8883093/). *Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine*. 2022. 13. Bates RA, Lieu TA. [Insufficient sleep in adolescents and the need for system changes](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770551/). *JAMA*. 2026. 14. Kansagra S. [Sleep disorders in adolescents](https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2056I). *Pediatrics*. 2020. 15. Gong W, et al. [Growth and sleep outcomes after adenotonsillectomy in pediatric mild sleep-disordered breathing](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41350327/). *Scientific Reports*. 2025. 16. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. [Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine](https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102). *EFSA Journal*. 2015. 17. Oeffl N, et al. [Caffeine and the young heart: a systematic review of arrhythmogenic risks in children and adolescents](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-026-04348-3). *Pediatric Cardiology*. 2026. 18. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much) 2024. *Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please speak with your child's physician about any questions regarding their growth, sleep, or caffeine intake.* #### Share this [Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://lifeendo.com/blog/does-coffee-stunt-your-growth&text=Does+Coffee+or+Caffeine+Stunt+Your+Growth%3F+What+Research+Shows) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://lifeendo.com/blog/does-coffee-stunt-your-growth&t=Does+Coffee+or+Caffeine+Stunt+Your+Growth%3F+What+Research+Shows) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://lifeendo.com/blog/does-coffee-stunt-your-growth&t=Does+Coffee+or+Caffeine+Stunt+Your+Growth%3F+What+Research+Shows) Previous story [← Childhood Cancer Survivors: Puberty, Testosterone & Fertility](https://lifeendo.com/blog/puberty-after-childhood-cancer-fertility) ### Get Email Notifications Our care team believes in individualized pediatric endocrine and diabetes care that allows a child to thrive and live fully. 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A 13-year-old who drinks coffee should keep it to about 100 mg a day, and to the morning, so it does not cut into sleep." }, "name" : "Does coffee stunt a 13-year-old's growth?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "An occasional small coffee is unlikely to affect growth, but there is little upside. At 2.5 mg/kg/day, an 88-pound child's limit is about 100 mg, which is less than one 12-ounce brewed coffee." }, "name" : "Is it okay for a 12-year-old to drink coffee?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In moderation, yes. Up to about 100 mg a day is the commonly cited ceiling for teens over 12. Keep it early in the day and skip energy drinks." }, "name" : "Is caffeine okay for a 14-year-old?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "No study shows that energy drinks reduce height, but they are a poor choice for children and teens. A single can may hold up to 246 mg of caffeine in 12 ounces, or 328 mg in 16 ounces, more than three times the 100 mg ceiling for teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against them, and a 2026 review of 39 teens with caffeine-related heart rhythm changes identified energy drinks, caffeine pills, and powders as the sources." }, "name" : "Do energy drinks stunt your growth?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Not in any way research has proven. Deep sleep triggers the body's largest growth hormone pulse, and sleep loss lowers it in the short term. Studies have not shown that ordinary late nights reduce adult height, but 8 to 10 hours a night remains the goal for teens." }, "name" : "Does staying up late stunt your growth?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "No. Decaf coffee typically contains 2 to 15 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, far too little to affect growth." }, "name" : "Does decaf coffee stunt your growth?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "No drink makes a child taller. Height is shaped by genetics, nutrition, sleep, overall health, and the hormones that drive growth. What coffee can do is crowd out milk and protein, or crowd out sleep, which is why it deserves a place in the conversation." }, "name" : "Can coffee make you taller?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Medical causes are far more likely than anything in a coffee cup. Hormone conditions, chronic illness, undernutrition, and untreated sleep-disordered breathing can all slow growth. If your child's growth has slowed, an evaluation is the fastest way to an answer." }, "name" : "What can actually stunt a child's growth?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "There is no official age. Children under 2 should have no caffeine, and about 100 mg a day is the commonly cited limit after age 12. Before then, decaf, or a splash of coffee in a cup of milk, is a gentler way to share the ritual." }, "name" : "At what age can kids drink coffee?" } ] } ```