With the added stress and larger workloads that teens face, now more than ever it is no wonder that high school students go to bed later and later each year. However, they still have to stay awake in their AP and accelerated classes. How do they handle doing this? Caffeine.

CBS news reported in early 2011 that nearly half of all teens drink coffee on a daily basis to stay awake in school. “I drink about a cup of coffee every morning,” said senior Lexi Knight,” It usually gets me through the day.” Although Knight only drinks one cup of coffee a day other students seem to drink even more. Freshman, Grace Koehl added that she drinks, “sometimes two or three cups a day.”

Coffee isn’t the only caffeine addiction out there. Sophomore Grace Knudsen drinks tea on a regular basis, “mango apricot tea is what I drink,” she stated. “It’s nice to have something warm to wake you up.”

Even energy drinks and energy shots are becoming a large part of many student’s lives. Brands like Rockstar, Amp and 5 hour energy all claim to help you stay awake now with no crash later, but this is hardly true. “They are great because you get a lot of energy at first, and they taste awesome,” said freshman Keegan Johnson. Some students have been known to take up to three shots of these energy drinks per day to stay awake for the entirety.

Caffeine pills are another way to stay awake. Junior Sam McNaughton said, “I take caffeine pills…from CVS.”  He blatantly admitted that he did not know if they were all-natural and whether or not they were pure caffeine. After further research, it was discovered that CVS Pharmacy caffeine pills have 200 mg more caffeine than a single cup of coffee.

Although all of the students interviewed said that caffeine helped them stay awake in school, their cup-of-joe, tea or other beverages also had some downfalls. “When I don’t drink [coffee] I get a headache,” said Knight.

All of the beverages that students reportedly have on a daily basis have somewhere from 200-1000 mg of caffeine. There are no official recommendations for caffeine consumption for teens and other children,” nutritionist and registered dietitian Elisa Zied says, “but I would say up to 200 milligrams per day is probably not going to harm them.”

Students need to stop before their energy fix is turned into an out right addiction. There are many alternatives to staying awake and listening to your teachers. Simple things like splashing cold water on your face, coloring or doodling can help immensely. “I draw in my notebook to keep my mind going,” added sophomore Caroline Sauer.

But with the workload piling up and the amount of sleep decreasing, simple tactics like these do not always help. “Getting adjustments, your daily vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin C, and basic minerals are important things [to help you stay awake in school,]” said Laura Torgerson, Chiropractor at The Brost Clinic in Wayzata. “Getting a detox program, you can feel more energized after that, and your body is able to get rid of the stuff that builds up.”

So whatever you use to stay awake in school, make it your New Year’s resolution to keep alert the healthy way. Ask for a sketch pad and some pens for Hanukkah, go to The Brost Clinic as a Christmas present to yourself, however you choose to do it, do it the healthy way.

Jack Ellis is a Staff Reporter for The Spartan Speaks