Caffeine & Sleep
Coffee

Caffeine in McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small)

109mg
per 12 oz
≈ 1 coffee≈ 1 Red Bull27% of FDA daily max

Is that a lot?

McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) is 27% of the FDA’s recommended daily maximum, in a single 12 oz.

Green tea
28 mg
Espresso
63 mg
Red Bull
80 mg
Coffee
95 mg
McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small)
109 mg
FDA daily max · 400mg
Before bed

When can I drink McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) and still sleep?

Your McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) cutoff
You drink it at
Bedtime
McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) · 109 mg · assuming an average ~5 h half-life
At bedtime
36 mg
should be fine
Latest safe McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small): 5:23 PM

How much caffeine is in McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small)?

A small McCafé brewed coffee carries roughly 109 mg of caffeine in 12 oz, a bit above a standard home cup. The figure is estimated, since caffeine isn't required on the label, but it lands in solid coffee territory.

ServingCaffeineSugar
12 oz109 mg0 g

McCafé brewed; caffeine not FDA-required so figure is estimated.

Will McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) affect your sleep?

At about 109 mg, a small McDonald's coffee takes around five to six hours to fall under 50 mg. A morning cup is well clear by night; an afternoon one may still register at bedtime.

Source: McDonald's / estimate

Related drinks

McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) & sleep — FAQ

An early cup clears by night, but at roughly 109 mg a small McCafé coffee after midday may still be near the 50 mg threshold when you turn in.

McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) has 109 mg per 12 oz — about 27% of the FDA’s 400 mg daily maximum for healthy adults. That’s roughly 1 cup of coffee.

It depends on your bedtime and how fast you clear caffeine. Use the calculator above to see when McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Small) drops below the ~50 mg “ok to sleep” threshold for your bedtime.

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