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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- It gives millions of Americans an extra boost everyday!

Caffeine--and too much of it can cause harm to your children.

Doctors say it’s a drug and too much caffeine is associated with death. Doctor Wesley Ryle, M.D. at A.T. Still University says he has seen a fair amount of his patients with caffeine-related problems and usually has to do with insomnia and diffuculty sleeping.

"If you feel like a child needs caffeine, that's probably something to touch base with a doctor about. It's not something I would expect children to normally need an alternative to," Ryle said.

Doctors say dosage is really important. Very small amounts of caffine are not particularly harmful, but large doses can be.

"Signs of too much caffeine in children are going to be different from child-to-child. In general insomnia can be a common thing that we see," Ryle said.

Other signs of too much caffeine includes nervousness, increased heart rates, high blood pressure, and even aggression.

Back in 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics put out a physician statement recommending against energy drinks for children.

"Of most concern is probably some of the energy drinks that are available on the market, so of which would have 10 to 15 times the amount of caffeine that soda and coffee has. They can be very, very high in caffeine," Ryle said.

Right now there are no guidelines developed in the U.S. for caffeine intake for kids, but that may soon change because kids who drink at least 12-ounces of a caffeinated beverage a day are 60-percent more likely to be obese.

Physicians say the best alternative for caffeine in childres are water, milk, and 100-percent fruit juice.