"Healthy Lifestyle" Could Be an ADHD Intervention

Helping children with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bring their symptoms under control often involves elaborate school plans and accommodations, time-consuming behavior therapy and stimulant drugs. What if there were an easy and inexpensive alternative?

Researcher Kathleen Holton, a behavioral neuroscientist at American University, suggests in a newly published study in the Journal of Attention Disorders that a “healthy lifestyle” may also make a difference. This involves adhering to strict limits on screen time (only one to two hours a day), making sure the child is physically active (at least one hour a day), getting enough sleep (nine to 11 hours) and limiting sugared beverages while drinking plenty of water (seven to 10 cups a day).