People with ADHD often struggle to stay hydrated, which can worsen symptoms and affect brain function. Here are 7 easy tips to help:
- Make water more appealing with fruit infusions
- Use visual reminders like sticky notes or water bottles
- Add water to daily habits and routines
- Use technology like smart bottles and reminder apps
- Eat water-rich foods and drinks
- Create a hydration-friendly environment
- Make drinking water fun and rewarding
| Tip | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Fruit infusions | Improves taste |
| Visual cues | Reminds you to drink |
| Link to habits | Makes hydration routine |
| Tech tools | Tracks and reminds |
| Hydrating foods | Adds variety |
| Easy access | Reduces barriers |
| Fun challenges | Increases motivation |
Staying hydrated can improve focus, memory, and mood for people with ADHD. Try these tips to make drinking water easier and more enjoyable.
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How Hydration Affects ADHD
Water is key for brain health, especially for people with ADHD. Not drinking enough can make ADHD symptoms worse and affect how well the brain works.
The Brain-Water Connection
The brain needs water to work well. When you don't drink enough:
- It's harder to focus
- You might forget things easily
- You feel less alert
- Your mind feels foggy
For people with ADHD, these problems can be even worse.
ADHD Medications and Water
Many ADHD medicines can make you lose water faster. They can:
| Side Effect | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Dry mouth | You feel thirsty more often |
| Peeing more | You lose water quickly |
| Sweating a lot | You lose even more water |
These side effects can lead to not having enough water in your body.
Brain Performance and Water
Drinking enough water is very important for how well your brain works. This matters a lot for people with ADHD.
Not having enough water can:
- Make it hard to pay attention
- Affect your memory
- Make you feel tired mentally
- Change your mood
By drinking enough water, people with ADHD might:
- Focus better
- Remember things more easily
- Feel less tired and foggy
- Handle their emotions better
Drinking water regularly can help manage ADHD symptoms and improve how well your brain works.
1. Make Water More Appealing
For people with ADHD, making water taste better can help them drink more. Adding fruits and herbs to water can make it more fun to drink.
Here are some tasty water mixes to try:
| Mix | Ingredients | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Spa Blend | Mint, cucumber, lemon | Tastes fresh, helps digestion |
| Sweet and Spicy | Rosemary, strawberry, ginger | Sweet taste, may reduce swelling |
| Citrus Splash | Grapefruit, lemon/lime, cucumber, mint | Tangy and fresh |
To make water more fun for kids with ADHD:
- Let them pick their own water bottle
- Use frozen berries instead of ice cubes
- Offer fruit water as a special drink
- Make fruit popsicles without sugar for a cool, wet snack
These ideas can help people with ADHD drink more water and stay healthy.
2. Use Visual Reminders
People with ADHD often forget to drink water. Visual cues can help them remember. Here are some easy ways to use visual reminders:
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Keep a water bottle in sight: Put a water bottle where you can always see it, like next to your phone. This will remind you to drink often.
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Use sticky notes: Put bright sticky notes with "Drink water" messages in places you look at a lot, like your desk or bathroom mirror.
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Make a water chart: Draw a simple chart on paper or a whiteboard. Mark it each time you drink water to see how much you've had.
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Link water to daily tasks: Drink water when you do other things you do every day. For example:
| When you... | Also... |
|---|---|
| Get coffee | Drink a glass of water |
| Wake up | Drink a glass of water |
| Use the bathroom | Drink a glass of water |
| Eat a snack | Drink a glass of water |
| See a water fountain | Take a sip |
These tips can help people with ADHD drink more water throughout the day.
3. Add Water to Your Daily Habits
Making water part of your everyday routine can help people with ADHD stay hydrated. Here are some easy ways to drink more water:
-
Morning and night: Drink a glass of water when you wake up and before bed.
-
With food: Have water with every meal and snack, even if you're not thirsty.
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During tasks: If you often get lost in your work, set alarms to remind you to drink water.
-
Between activities: Use changes in your day as reminders to drink water.
| When You... | Remember to... |
|---|---|
| Look at your phone | Take a sip of water |
| Get up from your desk | Drink some water |
| Walk into a new room | Have a few gulps |
| Finish a job | Drink water as a reward |
These simple steps can help you drink more water throughout the day without much effort.
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4. Use Technology to Help
Technology can help people with ADHD drink more water. Smart water bottles and phone apps are useful tools for this.
Smart water bottles can:
- Track how much water you drink
- Show you how much you've had
- Remind you to drink more
These bottles are easy to carry around, so you can use them all day.
You can also use voice assistants like Alexa to remind you to drink water. Here's an example of how to set up reminders:
| Time | What Alexa Says |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | "Time to drink water" |
| 11:30 AM | "Have some water before lunch" |
| 2:00 PM | "Don't forget your afternoon water" |
| 4:00 PM | "Last water reminder of the day" |
You can change these times to fit your day.
Phone apps for tracking water are also good. These apps can:
- Set goals based on your weight and how active you are
- Send you messages to remind you to drink
- Show you how much water you've had
Using these tech tools can help people with ADHD drink water regularly and stay healthy.
5. Other Ways to Get Water
While plain water is best, there are other tasty drinks and foods that can help people with ADHD stay wet throughout the day. Here are some other options:
-
Water with fruit: Add slices of fresh fruits like strawberries, lemon, or cucumber to your water. This makes it taste better without adding calories or sugar.
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Wet foods: Eat fruits and veggies that have a lot of water in them. Some good choices are:
| Food | How Much Water It Has |
|---|---|
| Watermelon | 92% |
| Strawberries | 91% |
| Cucumbers | 95% |
| Celery | 95% |
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Frozen treats: Make your own fruit popsicles without sugar. These are fun to eat and help you get more water, especially when it's hot.
-
Herb teas: Drink teas without caffeine, hot or cold. These give you different flavors while helping you get enough water.
These options can make it easier and more fun for people with ADHD to drink enough water each day.
6. Create a Hydration-Friendly Environment
Making it easy to drink water can help people with ADHD stay hydrated. Here are some simple ways to do this:
-
Put water where you can see it: Keep water bottles or cups in plain sight at home, work, or school. For kids with ADHD, ask teachers to include water breaks in the day.
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Set up water spots: Choose places in your home or office for drinking water. Keep these spots stocked with water bottles, glasses, and maybe a water filter.
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Use fun containers: Pick water bottles or cups that look nice or have cool features. Let kids choose their favorite water bottle to make them want to use it.
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Keep wet foods handy: Have fruits and veggies with lots of water in them ready to eat. Here are some good choices:
Food How much water it has Watermelon 92% Strawberries 91% Cucumbers 95% Celery 95% -
Make your work area water-friendly: If you or your child often get lost in work, put water reminders near you. This could be a water bottle next to the computer or a small fountain on the desk.
These tips can make it easier for people with ADHD to remember to drink water throughout the day.
7. Make Hydration Fun and Rewarding
Getting people with ADHD to drink more water can be easier if it's fun. Here are some ways to do this:
-
Turn it into a game: Make drinking water a fun challenge. Use a jar and marbles:
- Add a marble for each glass of water
- When the jar is full, do something fun as a family
- This works well for kids with ADHD
-
Use smart water bottles: These bottles can help you drink more water:
| What it does | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Reminds you to drink | Helps you remember |
| Sets personal goals | Fits your needs |
| Tracks what you drink | Shows how much you've had |
-
Make water look good: Try these ideas:
- Put frozen berries in ice cubes
- Add fresh fruit to water
- For kids, use fun water bottles with pictures they like
-
Eat foods with lots of water: Some foods have a lot of water in them:
| Food | How much water it has |
|---|---|
| Watermelon | 92% |
| Strawberries | 91% |
| Cucumbers | 95% |
| Celery | 95% |
These foods can help you get more water and add variety to what you eat and drink.
Conclusion
Drinking enough water is very important for people with ADHD. It helps them think better, focus more, and feel less tired. Not drinking enough water can make ADHD symptoms worse.
Here's a quick look at how drinking water helps with ADHD:
| How It Helps | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Better focus | Makes it easier to pay attention |
| Clearer thinking | Helps the brain work better |
| More energy | Keeps you from feeling tired |
| Better mood | Helps you feel less cranky |
We talked about many ways to drink more water. Try these ideas and see what works best for you:
- Add fruit to your water
- Use a special water bottle
- Set reminders on your phone
- Eat foods with lots of water in them
The key is to make drinking water a normal part of your day. It might take some time to get used to, but it can really help with ADHD.
FAQs
How to stay hydrated when you have ADHD?
Staying hydrated with ADHD can be hard, but these tips can help:
| Tip | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Add fruit to water | Makes water taste better |
| Keep a water bottle with you | Makes it easy to drink anytime |
| Start your day with water | Helps you remember to drink |
| Use phone reminders | Tells you when to drink |
| Eat watery fruits and veggies | Gives you water through food |
How much water should someone with ADHD drink?
Most adults should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. But this can change based on:
- How much you move
- How hot it is where you live
- Side effects from ADHD medicine
Not drinking enough water can make ADHD symptoms worse. If you take ADHD medicine, you might need to drink more water. Always ask your doctor how much water is right for you.
