Today’s moms work hard, find themselves constantly on-the-go, and have become busier than ever. So how do we get through the day? More often than not, with a cup of coffee in hand. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 80% of moms report feeling sleepy during the day, and 65% of moms drink caffeinated beverages in order to fuel their jam-packed schedules, which comes as no surprise to those of us who understand the power of a good caffeine jolt. Rather than being considered an addiction though, most of us see it as a necessity! After all, the sun never sets on our washers and dryers, carpools to practice, phone calls to return, dinners to plan, and emails to answer. In reality, many moms don’t just have a cup of coffee in the morning or grab a Diet Coke during lunch; a number of moms drink full pots of coffee or six-packs of energy drinks daily. Which may keep us on top of our always-too-frantic schedules, but we can’t help but worry about caffeine’s effect on our health.

While most short-term side effects, like the constant trips to the bathroom, the slight jitteriness, or even the headaches that set in as our morning caffeine dose starts to wear off, are harmless in the long-run, some do worry about issues like persistent migraines, gastrointestinal problems, or longer-term health risks. Which has doctors studying – and changing their minds about – the advantages and dangers of caffeine all the time. But even if moms want to cut back, getting along without that energy boost can be difficult. After all, many moms rely on caffeine to fit their 40 hours worth of work into their 24-hour days.

So what’s a mom to do? Find a way to recharge during the day. Sometimes we only get ten minutes to ourselves to relax, but make sure you put that time to good use. Lay on the couch with a magazine, sit with your eyes closed, or even hop into the shower. Anything you can do to take a break and get ready for the rest of your day – with the carpools, the laundry, the dinner planning, and the last-minute homework crisis – is worth taking the time for. If you must, schedule downtime into the calendar to make sure you fit it in. You should also switch to more natural sources of caffeine like green tea extract, which can now be found in new types of energy drinks like Ocean Spray’s Cranergy. Antioxidant-rich fruits such as raspberries and cranberries can also make a difference in your energy level, and for a natural endorphin-boost, all you need is to schedule a little time at the gym or find a half hour to take a walk. And when all else fails, there will certainly always be a coffee shop on every corner to fall back on.

To hear more about our generation of caffeinated moms, be sure to watch my recent CNN segment on the issue.

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