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We all know drinking 8 glasses of water a day is recommended for our physical health. But did you know that water is also a critical component of mental health?
The Georgia Institute of Technology published an analysis of 33 different studies looking at water and mental health. In studies where participants were asked to complete tasks when dehydrated, they made 12% more errors than when not dehydrated.
"People who are mildly dehydrated really don't do as well on tasks that require complex processing or on tasks that require a lot of their attention," according to study author Mindy Millard- Stafford. Mildly dehydrated -that's just 1.5 - 2% dehydrated, according to the researchers - a level so mild that many of us wouldn't even feel thirsty yet.
What does this mean for a child with ADHD? While researchers haven't specifically studied the impact of hydration on the ability to focus or complete complex cognitive tasks in kids with ADHD, the fact that ADHD causes weaknesses in these specific areas of cognitive functioning suggests that staying hydrated could be even more important when a child has ADHD. In addition, for kids already struggling to keep up with their peers academically, a 12% drop in performance from dehydration could mean the difference between grasping a new concept quickly or falling behind the rest of the class.
So, as the new school year begins, commit to helping your child stay hydrated to help fuel his or her mental performance:
Start your child's day with water. Help your child get into the habit of drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Water with every meal. Serve water with every meal, even if your child says they are not thirsty.
Make water accessible. Kids will drink water when they see it! Make sure they can easy access, and carry a water bottle to school and extracurricular activities.
Make water fun. Let your child choose the water bottle of their choice! Consider "brightening up" water with flavor enhancers like frozen berries in ice cubes or fresh-fruit infused water.
Don't forget: fruits and veggies are great sources of water. Load up lunches and snacks with things like watermelon, strawberries, celery, and other watery snacks.
Water is especially fun when it's frozen! A great snack or treat can be a homemade or no-sugar-added fruit popsicles.
At bedtime, have a glass (or bottle) of water on the nightstand to encourage your child to hydrate during the night.
See more details in our full blog post.
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