Caffeine in drinks
How much caffeine is in Sweet tea?
Sources checked claim by claim by an AI review. Approved for publishing by Oleksii Y. on 2026-10-09.
One Small drink (372 g) of Sweet tea has 67 mg of caffeine, according to USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS).
How Sweet tea compares
- Strength: 18 mg per 100 g.
- One Small drink (372 g) has as much caffeine as about three quarters of a cup of brewed coffee, which has 94.8 mg per 8 fl oz cup.
- Of the 19 other teas in our tea chart, 2 have more caffeine per serving and 17 have less.
How much will be left at bedtime?
1 × Small drink (372 g) of Sweet tea
Left at 11:00 PM (8 h later), average metabolism
≈ 22 mg
Range 11–34 mg (fast to slow metabolism)
To be at 50 mg or less by bedtime, have 67 mg by 8:08 PM (average) or 6:52 PM (slow metabolism).
What sleep studies found near this dose
- Gardiner et al. 2025 (randomized trial): In 23 healthy young men, 100 mg taken 12, 8 or 4 hours before bed had no significant effect on measured or self-rated sleep.
- Gardiner et al. 2023 (meta-analysis): To avoid losing sleep time, the authors suggest a coffee (107 mg per 250 ml) at least 8.8 hours before bed.
Estimate from a simple model: half-life of 3, 5 or 8 hours, 50 mg bedtime target. How we calculate
Caffeine by size
| Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Small drink (372 g) | 67 mg |
| Medium drink (512 g) | 92.2 mg |
| Large drink (744 g) | 133.9 mg |
| Chick-fil-A Iced Tea, Small | 45 mg |
| Chick-fil-A Iced Tea, Medium | 72 mg |
| Chick-fil-A Iced Tea, Large | 100 mg |
How long does Sweet tea stay in your system?
Our model halves caffeine every 5 hours for average metabolism, and every 3 or 8 hours for fast or slow metabolism. From one Small drink (372 g) of Sweet tea (67 mg), about 34 mg is still in your body 5 hours later and about 17 mg after 10 hours. If you clear caffeine slowly (an 8-hour half-life), about 28 mg is left after 10 hours.
Estimated caffeine left at 11:00 PM from one Small drink (372 g) (67 mg), using a half-life of 5 hours for average metabolism and 3 to 8 hours for the range. How we calculate
| Had at | Left at bedtime (average) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM (15 h before bed) | ≈ 8 mg | 2–18 mg |
| 12:00 PM (11 h before bed) | ≈ 15 mg | 5–26 mg |
| 3:00 PM (8 h before bed) | ≈ 22 mg | 11–34 mg |
| 6:00 PM (5 h before bed) | ≈ 34 mg | 21–43 mg |
How many fit in a day?
Reference amounts are for caffeine from all sources combined. Counted at the upper end of the stated amount, one serving at a time:
- Up to 400 mg a day for most healthy adults (FDA, EFSA): about 5 servings.
- Up to 200 mg at one time for healthy adults (EFSA): about 2 servings in one go.
- Up to 200 mg a day in pregnancy (EFSA, NHS): about 2 servings.
These are reference amounts for groups of people, not a personal limit. Some people feel jittery or sleep worse on much less. See the cutoff calculator for timing.
Good to know
Chick-fil-A gives approximate caffeine for its Iced Tea by size and does not list sweetened and unsweetened tea separately.
How the serving amount was worked out: USDA lists 18 mg per 100 g for brewed black iced tea pre-sweetened with sugar; 372 g × 0.18 = 67.0 mg; 512 g × 0.18 = 92.2 mg; 744 g × 0.18 = 133.9 mg.
Sweet tea vs other iced and bottled tea drinks
- Iced tea (brewed, unsweetened): Sweet tea has less caffeine than iced tea (brewed, unsweetened) per 100 g (18 vs 20 mg). Sweet tea: 67 mg per Small drink (372 g); Iced tea (brewed, unsweetened): 72 mg per Small drink (360 g).
- Bottled black iced tea: Sweet tea has more caffeine than bottled black iced tea per 100 g (18 vs 11 mg). Sweet tea: 67 mg per Small drink (372 g); Bottled black iced tea: 52 mg per 16 fl oz bottle (473 g).
- Lipton Iced Tea Lemon: Sweet tea has more caffeine than Lipton Iced Tea Lemon per typical serving. Sweet tea: 67 mg per Small drink (372 g); Lipton Iced Tea Lemon: 21 mg per 16.9 fl oz bottle.
- Pure Leaf Sweet Tea: Sweet tea has more caffeine than Pure Leaf Sweet Tea per typical serving. Sweet tea: 67 mg per Small drink (372 g); Pure Leaf Sweet Tea: 54 mg per 18.5 fl oz bottle.
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Sweet tea?
USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS) gives 67 mg of caffeine per Small drink (372 g). Other sizes are in the table on this page.
How many Sweet tea servings can I have in a day?
The FDA and EFSA cite up to 400 mg of caffeine a day, from all sources combined, for most healthy adults. At 67 mg per Small drink (372 g), that is about 5 servings if Sweet tea is your only source. In pregnancy the reference is 200 mg a day.
How late can I drink Sweet tea?
With an 11:00 PM bedtime, our model suggests having one serving by about 8:08 PM for average metabolism, or 6:52 PM if you clear caffeine slowly. This is an estimate, not a rule.
Does Sweet tea have more caffeine than Iced tea (brewed, unsweetened)?
Sweet tea has less caffeine than iced tea (brewed, unsweetened) per 100 g (18 vs 20 mg). Sweet tea: 67 mg per Small drink (372 g); Iced tea (brewed, unsweetened): 72 mg per Small drink (360 g).
How long does Sweet tea stay in your system?
Of the 67 mg in one Small drink (372 g), roughly 34 mg remains after 5 hours and 17 mg after 10 hours with our average 5-hour half-life. From fast to slow metabolism, 10 hours later it is between 7 and 28 mg.
Where the number comes from
- Tea, iced, brewed, black, pre-sweetened with sugar. USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS). FDC ID 2710515, nutrient "Caffeine" (262): 18 mg per 100 g; portions "1 small drink" = 372 g, "1 medium drink" = 512 g, "1 large drink" = 744 g. Accessed 2026-10-09. Source ↗
- How much caffeine do the coffee and tea beverages from Chick-fil-A have? Chick-fil-A. Table after "Our coffee and tea beverages contain approximately the following amounts of caffeine": rows "Iced Tea | Small | 45 mg", "Iced Tea | Medium | 72 mg", "Iced Tea | Large | 100 mg" Accessed 2026-10-09. Source ↗
Recipes and labels change. If a number here no longer matches the label, the label wins.
General information, not medical advice
If you feel unwell after caffeine — for example chest pain, a fast or irregular heartbeat that does not settle, fainting, confusion or trouble breathing — get urgent medical help. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, take medication, or have a heart, liver or anxiety condition, high blood pressure or a sleep disorder, ask a doctor or pharmacist what amount is right for you.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2024). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? FDA Consumer Updates. fda.gov ↗
- European Food Safety Authority. Caffeine | EFSA. EFSA topic page (summary of the 2015 Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine). efsa.europa.eu ↗
- NHS. Foods to avoid in pregnancy. NHS. nhs.uk ↗
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