If caffeinated drinks like coffee are meant to give you boosts of energy then why is it recommended for kids with ADHD to calm them down?
In: Biology
ADHD is a disorder of your executive function, which is basically your brain’s ability to control itself (ELI5 level). As such, people with ADHD have difficulties directing their attention, hence the name. But it’s not just attention, it’s a lot of other things like motivation and emotions. One common symptom is procrastination, which has to do with only getting the motivation to do something once it’s crunch time, whereas people with normal executive function are better able to motivate themselves based off of a future consequence. Some people with ADHD have drastic mood swings because their brain isn’t regulating emotions well, leading to impulsive behavior as well.
Caffeine and other stimulants improve executive function, so if you have ADHD and take the ‘right’ dose, you can more or less have a regular person’s ability. Now they can regulate their emotions, which in many people results in a calming down because now they can regulate all of those impulsive thoughts coming into their head. Also, caffeine helps many people with ADHD sleep for a similar reason. Instead of falling asleep with your mind going all over the place, caffeine can restore focus and allow your brain to tune out those thoughts and actually go to bed.
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