Picture this: it’s two a.m. and you still haven’t finished your homework. You drag yourself to bed, but wake up the next morning to find that you overslept. You jump out of bed, get ready, and guzzle down three cups of extremely caffeinated coffee before heading to school. Sound familiar?

For many students, caffeine seems like the only way to have enough energy to face the day after a long night of studying and homework. According to kidshealth.org, teenagers should consume no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day – any more could possibly lead to addiction. Some insist that without their coffee, they will go through the day with extremely low energy; their minds may become foggy, and they just won’t be the same without their caffeine.

Many people believe that caffeine can’t harm kids, but there is too much evidence that proves this wrong. Now, I don’t want to throw out a bunch of statistics, but there is a story that may catch your attention. According to NY Daily News, 16-year-old Lanna Hamann from Arizona was hiking in Mexico and became dehydrated. She decided to drink a Red Bull and then died later from cardiac arrest. Her parents are convinced that it was caused by the excessive amount of caffeine in the Red Bull, and cardiologist Jack Wolfson believes that her death was caused by the high levels of caffeine and sugar found in the Red Bull, as well the fact that she was dehydrated. No wonder energy drinks are banned from school.  Obviously, this most likely won’t happen with a few cups of coffee, but it is wise to be aware of how much caffeine you have per day.

So how do you combat this problem? It won’t be easy. Trust me, I can never resist a Pumpkin Spice Latte. In reality, it’s all about moderation. For instance, you could limit yourself to just one Pumpkin Spice Latte per week, or just one small cup of coffee in the morning. Decaf is also a great way to ease out of the caffeine-energy-trap.

Now, no one is to say that coffee is the only answer to your energy problem. Doing exercise or yoga in the morning won’t only wake you up, but it will also be amazing for your body. Also, getting to bed on time will give you more energy in the morning. This tip is the most obvious, but is also the hardest. Drinking coffee in moderation definitely won’t be easy for those dedicated coffee drinkers, but your body will thank you for it late.