Natural Remedies for ADHD and ADD

Apple Cider Vinegar seems to reduce ADD symptoms, as well as anxiety and depression symptoms.

To Answer questions re children's or animal dosages: A reference found on curezone.com from Dr. Richard Schulze's Patient Handbook recommends figuring dosage by weight alone. Just put child's or animal's weight over l50 lbs (average adult weight) and do your math. child's wt. 30 lbs over l50 lbs. would give you l/5th of the adult dose for the child. Go to curezone.com for more detailed explanation. Even better print it out and keep it for ready reference when needed.

Personally, I suspepct my ADHD was created as a defense against constant interruption. I wasn't jumping from one thing to another but simply exploring things very quickly. Before I could be interrupted by some form of "authority". I'm in my 60s now and still dig into things that interest me very intensely and very quickly despite there being no one around to interrupt me or take whatever has my attention away from me.

I wasn't raised like that at home and didn't develop "problems" until school. At home, we were encouraged to explore things for ourselves rather than simply ask questions and take someone's word for "fact" but school was quite different. At home, I merely learned to avoid things that also interested my brother and/or sister, LOL. At school...it was very different. You had to be fast as supervision was everywhere, competition was fierce and one could be interrupted at any moment. No warning and no recourse that wasn't guaranteed to steal even more of your exploration time.

yes, I know. B vitamins in form of nutritional yeast is best. Magnesium in some form that agrees with your gut for relaxing. Soy lecithin granules for detox of bad fats and choline and inositol for your brain. D-3 with K-2 for lots of systems including hormone. Sun and fresh air . Take a walk daily.Progesterone cream can be calming. L- Taurine to detox msg( excitotoxin ). If a bad night of sleep try activated charcoal capsules with glass of water at bedtime. Kefir if your gut needs help to break down your food. Coconut oil for many detox values in the body from head to toes. Extra cup of water in the morning to start your day off right and some high mineral salt to balance your electrolytes for brain/heart health.Iodine drop on skin daily .

Go on youtube and watch eric berg or john bergman . so much to learn, so little time. Get healthy while you are young, take a walk/ breathe deep. Talk kind about yourself and call yourself what you desire to become not what you are worried about. Words have power. Help someone else or smile at people. You go girl....I'm rooting for you, walked a few miles in your shoes.Charity. Start all changes~ low dose and slowly add things, less misery.

My son has struggled with ADHD since he was about 3 years old. He had constant ear infections for the first 3 years of his life. Antibiotics were given every time. I believe he has leaky gut do to these antibiotics. He would contsantly be sick, throwing up, diahhrea. The doctors never told me to replenish his body with acidophilus after being treated with the antibiotics. I since discovered with my 2 year old son that dairy was the culprit for the ear infections. Food allergies can cause many problems for your child. Elimination diet and a food allergy test not done by a main stream doctor. You need to find a Naturopathic Doctor that specializes in food allergies. Look on the internet in your area. Meridian Valley Lab in Renton, Washington does this test. You might even be able to get a test kit mailed to you and mail it back to them. Dairy, wheat, soy, corn, nuts are in everything and hard to digest. Doris Rapp, MD "Is this Your Child" is an excellent book for children with ADHD/ADD. There are many alternative foods out there for you, it just takes time to learn about them and change your way of eating. Every health problem you come across can be treated with what you ae putting in or on your body. Knowledge is key and reading all the info provided here helps. Both my sons have not been to a doctor except for a check up in 3 years. Not so much as a runny nose. This is after I changed our diet to allergen free foods. They can have these foods once in a while for special occasion and I can still keep them healthy. It is also important to take pro biotics (refrigerated), digestive enzymes, flax or fish oil (cold pressed) and good multi vitamins made from whole foods that do not have wheat, soy, dairy, corn etc. You and your children are worth it. Never give up!

I have given my son who has dyslexia and ADHD 1/2 Livolin Forte which has phosphatidyl choline in desperation and surprisingly he has immense changes to his reading ability, cos at age 10 he couldnt read, and he will struggle to spell, but now after barely 1 week on livolin, he has the ability to grasp the phonetic sound some 40% of the words shown to him on sight. Can anyone tell me if it is harmful for him to take that supplement? I have been giving him fish oil but there is not much changes. I check into the internet which say phosphatidyl is helpful for brain problem like alzheimer and dementia. But I will like to share what I had learned so as to help other desperate parents.

Rubigirl, At our local health food store, they have an ACV bottled drink made with grape juice that is delicious. I'm wondering if a homemade version of that would be good for your kids? We have made some before with the no-sugar added grape juice and it tastes great.

Simply put, when we are a child and become an adult, a change happens, we call it "maturity" but for some that change does not happen "the executive function" to be able to be responsible, mature, hold a job, etc. You often see this is ADHD and autism, etc. It seems to be on an epidemic rise in the moden world. What causes it and how to cure it?

Possible causes: head trauma, maybe upbringing (eg. Physical and mental abuse), vaccinations (heavy metals) and toxic foods (excitotoxins like MSG ad aspartame and excess fattening and fried foods and vegetable oils, etc) and lack of oxygen (e. G. Home or office bound and lack of exercise due to sedentary lifestyle behind a PC or TV), etc. Lets say it is a combination of these things: hit hard on head as a baby a few times and a toxic lifestyle growing up. Possible cures: Could oral hyaluronic acid help heal? I know it exists naturally between the skull and brain to cushion it. Smart drugs? Do these need prescription and are these expensive(eg. Hydergine and l-pryoglutamate)? Amino acid L-glutamine (rid body of MSG)? Alkalization, especially with malic acid (eg. Apple cider vinegar) and baking soda for its metal chelating properties and other chelating agents (e.g. EDTA, Cilantro, etc), mostly alkaline diet, cooking with extra virgin coconut oil, exercise in fresh air, etc

But is this enough? Could it be this simple? What is the key, what am I missing? Thanks.

I am 25 years old and received the ADHD diagnosis about 3 years ago. I had horrible issues in school my whole life and when I was younger ADHD was not really and issue as it is today. After I was put on Adderall my grades now in college are A's all the way. If caffeine would have done the trick for me I would have never had issues or I must need a mass dose of it to help me out. I have drank coffee since I was about 14. I also take magnesium but I see no difference with it without taking Adderall or added to it. Now my 5 year old is showing more and more signs of ADHD, I will not put her on meds at this early age so I am going to try a little caffeine and mg. Caffeine makes me normal not hyper at all, I wish it did!

ADHD could be a magnesium deficiency, try Epsom Salts in his bath ( soak for 20-30 mins)

Sodas are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Corn is a GRAIN NOT a veg. They give corn to cows before slaughter to fatten them up. HFCS turns directly into fat NOT energy like normal sugar. HFCS not only makes you fat it damages the liver and pancreus. It was linked to mine and 3-4 other friends diabetes. I stopped all sodas diet or HFCS and my fasting sugar has went from 130 to 90.

Is Terese from Cedar Rapids still checking this website? I need to talk with her. My 3 year old son was just diagnosed with severe ADHD and severe ODD. The developmental pediatrician wants to put him on Clonodine. In an attempt to avoid medicating him, we have removed all processed foods, preservatives, food colorings, wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, and fruits with high levels of salicylic acids. He has improved but we are still having issues with him at school (he has a one-on-one facilitator in a special program at his preschool). My husband and I are at our wits end. I was wondering if I could talk with or e-mail Terese who seemed to have some good ideas and got her son on the right track.

Eeore,

Research Dr. Abraham Hoffer and his Niacin protocol. Vitamin B3 is essential to so many functions within our bodies and we simply do not get enough of it from our diet. He helped cure thousands of schizophrenia and other mental health problems throughout his career but was kept quiet by big p.

How is the Pine Bark extract working for you and your son? What is the dosage and how do you give it to your son? Thank you so much!

Sometimes ADD/ADHD results from a vision problem. Even people who test 20/20 on vision tests have functional vision problems. When the brain gets too stressed trying to process visual input, it forces a mental break which looks like ADD or ADHD. Please find a "behavioral optometrist" to rule out functional vision deficiencies that could be a hidden source of reading, learning, and concentration problems. Significant improvements can be made in just a few short months of dedicated vision therapy.

ADD and ADHD are in many cases a result of copper toxicity. Slow oxidizers can take L-taurine and fast oxidizers ICMN (inositol, choline, methionine and niacinamide) for symptomatic relief. The oxidation rate can be measured using hair mineral analysis. coach(at)revite.us

I read dr Brownstein's book about iodine. He had a case study in there of a child being cured of ADHD with iodine as a major component. Iodine is also a part of Dr Batman's water cure. There is testing you can do to determine iodine sufficiency. I don't have a child but I would try it if I had a child with ADHD. I would also Eliminate flouride. It is everywhere. I got a black berkey water filter to eliminate flouride. I think I had flouride poisoning. Flouride and other halides like chlorine, bromide (in bread) and halides in fire retardent make you deficient in iodine. You cannot be properly hydrated without it. The natural cell death called apoptosis can't happen without it, so basic functioning of the body is compromised without this nutrient. Iodine is the original medicine. It was used traditionally for all sorts of ailments. Lugols solution is cheap.

I'm willing to try anything. I can't concentrate to save my life.. took Staterra as I had a job. It was too expensive now and I'm a Chronic insomniac too!

HELP I need a decent home remedy for me. I'm 52. Cannot sit still or shut up. Interrupt all my friends. Makes me sad. Takes a special person to be my friend ..Sad

All u need is a little...tsp maybe in some juice...my son drinks this n has no problem with it. Other things I have tried he's hated!

Hi Sal,

My kids who are both ADHD take a few drops of Omega 3 and 6 Oils with Scotts Emulsion. The difference is amazing. And coffee does actually calm them down as well.

I know EC already has remedies for ADHD and Autism, what I'm referring to here is more specifically "Frontal Lobe Disorder or Syndrome" or "Executive Dysfunction Syndrome" (EDS) I mentioned ADHD and Autism in my post because they have some similar symptoms too. Diet and brain acidity seem to have a lot to do with ADHD and vaccinations seem to have a lot to do with autism. In my case, as a baby and child, I had a few bad falls and my head was hit hard (plus toxic lifestyle) which seems to be cause of my EDS. Maybe the treatment for ADHD and Autism (and brain damage) may help with EDS? What else? Thanks.

The feingold diet was being used back in 1975 for ADD/LD. It is now finally being accepted by the so called medical society. Good luck... It was our immediate answer some 30 years ago.

A must read for children with ADHD : "The Hidden Drug Dietary Phosphate" by Hertha Hafer, a German research Pharmacist who has had hands-on experience - raising an extremely hyperactive son. Many success stories documented when patients followed a low phosphate diet.

Try magnesium supplements instead. Mg glycinate/lysinate with bioperine. Adhd is the result of mg deficiency.

Actually, Maskeen--I have been taking Mg since I was diagnosed and it hasn't been helping me one bit with ADHD. It has helped with my migraines (nearly gone), but the ADHD symptoms haven't changed. Most natural healers I have spoken with have said, when I asked, That Mg deficiency is NOT a cause of ADHD "proper" (being the lack of neurotransmitter function).

! Hugs {{{ Violet Velvet }}} Hugs! I recall having asperger-like symptoms in elementary school (mid 60s). Found out a few years ago a tacher felt I had ADHD & spoke to one of my parents, but they didn't understand it, so I didn't get specialized help. Back then Asberger's was thought to be part of ADHD & treated the same, & I think the drugs used for ADHD would have really hurt me! So it's good in a way that I went un-diagnosed. Though, like you say, it wasn't easy!!!

My son has been on an organic diet since birth. He was born at home with no epidural or drugs of any kind. I am terrified of any prescription drug given to kids, but am running out of options! He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7 and we've tried behavior modification, vision therapy, prescription DHA, probiotics, multivitamins, Yerba matte tea (for its gentle caffeine) and enzymes. So far he is still struggling in school & considering he has a high IQ, this is affecting his self esteem. Please let me know if you have any other option for us to try.

Have you tried the elimination diet to rule out any food allergies or sensitivities?

ADHD and Asperger's: It needs to be remembered that was not mentioned in your email, baking soda, granulated lecithin and magnesium (found in sunflower seeds) are also vital to the initial stages of the improvement. However, during the final stages once the child is detoxed of heavy metals and properly alkalized, dechlorinator added to drinking water such as drops of 10% of sodium thiosulfate, such as 5-10 drops per glass of water would calm a child, but initial dose will cause loose stool, but later dose won't have the same effect because some reason the sodium thiosulfate detoxed the intestines. In the final stages I found once every three days hydergine and piracetam to be very helpful to the recovery process. Also some glutamine added once a week can cause the brain to recover by leaps and bound, although initially it is not good, but it makes a leap on improvement a bit later in the day or a couple of days. Omega 3 fish oil and lecithin is vital, along with vitamin C sodium ascorbate since these are found in large amounts in the brain. A sea salt contains superconductive materials used by the brain, so it is best that some baking soda is added to sea salt, such as 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in one liter of drinking water at the very least. Ideally, I think, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in one liter of drinking water has a more calming effect then just the baking soda used alone.

Believe it or not, I work with a lot of parents whose children have ADHD. My 14 year old son just told me last week that he needs medical help. He is tired of not being able to concentrate and getting in trouble in class. He also has a predisposition for anxiety that he inherited from me, which does not help things. I have been trying out different vitamin supplements and ACV to no avail. He just recently began living with his father and I cannot control his diet. He would probably starve if I were to enforce the removal of sugars in his diet anyway, and just sneak junk food other places. It's funny how I have a whole lot of advice for other parents whose kids have ADHD, even though I never advocate medicine. But now that he is REQUESTING meds, I am flabbergasted and do not know where to turn. I will start to read the websites mentioned but I am really upset about this. Anyone with teenagers having any success, please respond!!!

G Clark, I have mentioned this a few times (I don't have any relationship to this Dr at all) but have you heard of the GAPS diet. You can google it. It has had some excellent results with ADHD kids. The reason I am looking into it is that my son has speech developmental issues and I think it will help. Basically Dr McBride is saying that the ADHD is caused by toxins in the body, namely the gut and to fix the problem you have to heal the gut and rid the body of the toxins. I would be interested to hear what you say after you see her youtube videos. Many of these kids have digestive issues (including my son).

Thanks Lisa I will investigate the Body Ecology Diet. I did see the Donna Gates video on youtube with Dr. McBride. I had actually started making a sourdough fermented bread about a month ago but stopped because I got sick and didn't stir the starter enough and it "died". The fermented food products make a lot of sense to me.

G Clarke, something else that I have been doing and it seems to be working for my son is Vitamin C. When I started he did have the croup and some asthma (and ended up 1 night in hospital). I started giving him the Vit C to clear his congestion (Dr had prescribed antibiotics and he had had 3 doses of Prednisone) and had read that Vitamin C detoxes the body of heavy metals and I though it may help him if that were a problem. I was juicing lemons and adding honey and vitamin C powder - put the mixture in a small container on top of a cup of hot water long enough for the honey to melt and mixed it all together. I then used the plastic syringe for medications to syringe that mixture into my son's mouth. (About 1/4 tspn Vit C - 4 or 5 times a day).

I did notice a marked improvement in his speech in a couple of weeks. He wouldn't sing except maybe one word at the end of each line in a song if that and he had to be coaxed for that one maybe two words. He is about to turn 4. He has the speech of about a 2 1/2 year old.

Anyway it is now about 4 weeks after I have been giving him the vitamin C. He has started singing songs without prompting from me. I was waiting in the Doctors office a couple of days ago (I wanted his blood tested to see if he was lacking in any nutrients) and my son was singing on the top of his voice the song of Twinkle Twinkle little Star. admittedly he missed quite a few words but he has gone from only singing one word when I sing with him to belting out a song in the Dr's office with no coaching from me (and to applause from onlookers). He is also wanting now to sing other songs and rhymes - never interested before.

I can't quite believe it is a coincidence that he has improved so quickly. I definitely think the Vitamin C has helped to detox his body.

Also I have been giving him Cilanto (corriander) chopped up in a yoghurt & garlic sauce mixed in his food. Cilantro also is know to get rid of heavy metals in the body. I also give him probiotics and digestive enzymes every day.

His speech is still not there but there is a lot of improvement. I am also going to try either of the GAPS/ and the BED diets. I need to get the books and study which one we may be doing. In the meantime keep adding to what I am doing. As I type this he is singing Twinkle Twinkle to himself so something is working.

ADD is caused by sugar. The sugar if it is in excess in the blood sticks to the proteins creating the waste AGE (advanced glycation end). And the more sugar there is in the blood, the more AGE waste will be formed and the worse physical and mental health we will have. If we have this waste in the brain we will have drowsiness during the day because the brain wants us to sleep because during the sleep increases up to 20 times the elimination of brain waste by the glymphatic system. And the drowsiness causes tiredness, suffering, bad mood, violence, depression, stress, little mental clarity, poor memory, low intelligence, addictions…. To see the level of PGA is the analysis of glycated hemoglobin. An optimal level is 4 to 5%, a diabetic usually has 9 to 12% For every 1% increase in glycated hemoglobin there is 28% more mortality. To eliminate PGA waste from the body and brain we have to control the sugar in blood, for this we can eat a diet low in carbohydrates such as the ketogenic diet. We can also eat a lot of carbohydrates but prefer low and medium foods glycemic index to high, and especially making many small meals a day instead of few large meals. At dinner it is better to avoid carbohydrates.

Is there a particular brand that's better with pine bark extract? And can you take it with Zoloft? I'm thinking about trying it on myself before trying it with my 6 year old son.

Hello Greyso,

By saying that your parents disciplined you, do you mean spanking? I'm asking because there's a serious on my marriage because of that. He believes that I'm wrong for not spanking my boys who display some ADHD behaviors (they are kindergarteners). I tell him that discipline does not equal spanking and/or beating. I view spanking as the last resort...that's not to say that I won't smack occasionally but that's just not my go-to response. I'm tough on removing privileges, especially for things they take to heart. I'm just curious as to what you mean by discipline and if my husband is possibly right.

I actually have ADHD, and recently I developed a gluten intolerance. I had some trouble before hand and noticed all the symptoms of my ADHD disappear after a month of being totally gluten and dairy free. I recommend trying a gluten free diet for a few months, gluten free all the way down to the last particle no cross-contamination.

Ideas on poor concentration? I was diagnosed with ADD issues before they lumped it as part of ADHD (which I disagree with for certain reasons). Anyway, I looked and you don't have it listed separately... Is there some way that can be rectified? Thank you!

My child has ADHD and I can testify that diet changes absolutely worked for him. Research how the chemicals in a western diet harm the body/brain. Google the Feingold diet - this is what helped him many years ago. Also, I am in agreement with you that sugar isn't the culprit (although I do not think that sugar is healthy! )... I think that hyperness in kids is caused by corn syrup. The majority of candies/kid's treats are now sweetened with corn syrup and not sugar. Corn syrup is just evil!

Hello,

I am so glad to have found this website. Both of my children are affected by a genetic syndrome called Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome. Basically, they lack an enzyme necessary to create enough cholesterol in the body (our body manufactures some cholesterol). They are mildly affected on the spectrum of this disorder. They were both originally mis-diagnosed as autistic.

Fast-forward 9 years! Some of my childrens' issues may be a result of this syndrome but I still think much of their problems can be helped. My son has ADHD bigtime. He can hardly concentrate. I have always told my husband and mother that I could tell "where he is at" just by looking at him. He seems foggy sometimes, very distracted and out of it. But he is NOT always like this. He has really great times of clarity too and is more focused and less hyper and has no volatile outbursts. WHen he is "in the fog" he is more hyper, unfocused, volatile and aggressive and so forth. He has been gluten free for 3 months now and it has helped with the over-all fatigue issue I was seeing this summer. He is also dairy free for the most part. As a little boy he had so many ear infections I lost count. He was on antibiotic after antibiotic. Through the years he also took Risperdal for aggression and we tried other ADD/ADHD meds which did not help. He always has bad side effects and I can't stand seeing my son not acting like himself. He is complicated but I really believe there is a more optimum level of health for him! I have to believe that!

Now for my daughter. She is much less affected by the syndrome and is in a private school and at grade level. She began having these throwing up episodes and had an upper GI. Later, through much prayer, I discovered she had a Salicylate Sensitivity. Now her diet is so limited and challenging and I am afraid she is not getting enough healthy foods to eat.

I am also gluten/dairy free now because of being diagnosed with Celiac disease. I have been dealing with overall fatigue for years and now more recently brain fogginess.

Honestly, between my son and I being dairy and gluten free, my daugters Salicylate issues and my husband not doing dairy or red meat~~~ mealtime is stressful and causes me anxiety.

TED, I need your help! Or anyone for that matter!

thank you very much!

I also read recently that most/if not all illnesses are actually related to a mineral deficiency.

Here is a great ebook for you to read (only 80 pages). It is by a Japanese Doctor. Really eye opening. I wish every Doctor would read it.

http://www.adyaclarity.biz/uploads/5/5/1/2/5512066/mineral_deficency_e_book.pdf

Anyone who has a child with autism, learning difficulties and even ADHD must look at the following video. There is much evidence to suggest that consuming Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is linked to these problems.

I didn't realise how dangerous it was until recently and that it was linked to the above.

I went to buy some chocolate recently and discovered it contained MSG (under the name Flavors), also went to buy a "Gluten free" chocolate chip cookie... It also contained MSG (under another name)

MSG is also the reason people are becoming "addicted" to food, can't lose weight even if they lower their food intake, get headaches... There are so many diseases linked to the consumption of MSG. If it is in so many foods imagine the accumulative effect over one day.

There are some foods that can block the Glutamates from being harmful. Magnesium and Tumeric are two foods that will negate the harmful effects.

Francisca, I agree it is best to avoid processed food, but apparently they are putting MSG in meat and even spraying it on crops! It is also in milk powder which is in yoghurts. You think you are eating healthy but you are not.

They are putting it in baby foods and even in baby formula. Apparenty there is even MSG in most vaccines!

Here is a list of the hidden names that MSG comes under.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

Hi Francisca, the best thing you can do to ensure you eat healthy is to grow your own wheatgrass and juice it. There is a great book by Ann Wigmore on wheatgrass. It is a "superfood". She said that you could live on wheatgrass juice and be healthy. It also remove radiation and heavy metals from the body. It is wonderful. If you grow some wheatgrass you can also harvest the seeds for future juicing or even grinding and making bread.

Why are they adding poisons to our diet... I have my own theory. It's called eugenics and it is happening worldwide.

Also mmsg, and Francisca in Ann Wigmore's book about Wheatgrass, she put some wheatgrass juice in water and it took the flouride out of the water. They did a test on the water. It would be worth reading her book.

Happy Day! I am glad you are doing well after Chemotherapy. Thank you so much for sharing your insight on wheat grass and Grape Seed Extract.

I bought a bottle of Grape Seed Extract from Trader's Joe for my ADD, but only took one capsule 3 times a day, so did not see much effect. I am 162 lbs. Do I need to take 3 capsules each time? If so that would make 9 capsules a day. The servings size is 3 capsules and serving per container is 50.

I would highly appreciate if you give me your thought.

sara

About Robert Henry's comment.

Thanks for your additional info. It is good to have the most info on a subject that you can find.

I guess I am wrong about the carbonation thing. Could coke ever eat though eat through a can, or is that a myth?

I hate all carbonation and never drink it. Coke was not the the main topic of my rant anyway. In any event, it is not good for you, because of phosphorous, content and corn syrup (although you can find with real sugar if you look), amount other ingredients that aren't good. Here is a link that can explain everything you need to now about dangers of soft drinks, way better than I can.

http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/soft-drinks-americas-other-drinking-problem/

one more

http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/old-fashioned-healthy-lacto-fermented-soft-drinks-the-real-real-thing/

You are so correct about the orange egg in spring and summer. I love these orange one so much better. This winter I was longing for those great orange eggs. But Even if yellow pasture raised eggs are best.

This was a question about MCS and I did wander off topic. I was hyper that day.

Has anyone considered just MORE SLEEP for children (and adults) with ADHD and ADD? My brother, who is now 28, and both of my sons, 10 and 3, have been suspicioned to have ADHD or ADD by teachers and others, and I seriously believe that it could just be a sleep deficit in all of them. I have read a book since my 9-month-old daughter was born called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth. The book is mostly for parents of babies but it also covers older children a little bit...and the doctor suggests that a lot of kids who are diagnosed with these attention disorders may just be lacking sufficient sleep! I thought about it, and both of my sons have been terrible sleepers in the past. My 3-year-old still is. I blame myself because, now that I have read this book, I see where I made the mistake of going into their rooms too much at night when they cried as babies and toddlers, so they never really learned how to put themselves back to sleep. My now 10-year-old was still coming into my room a lot at night when he was 6 and 7 years old. I had always stayed by his bed until he fell asleep when he was younger, and I always soothed him back to sleep when he woke in the night. He never learned! My 3-year-old still wakes up screaming in the night all the time, and some nights he tries to fight going to bed. The books suggests putting them to bed way earlier than we think is sufficient, like 6:30 or 7 instead of 8 or 9 at night, and NOT going in at their every cry when they are young. There were studies done, and just making those changes alone improved many children's supposed ADHD and ADD tendencies! It also improved other problems, like strange body tics and twitches. Think about it: our lifestyles are getting crazier and busier all the time and good sleep is getting harder and harder to come by! Could this be why there are so many more cases of attention deficit disorders and other neurological problems than there were before there were busy families with both parents working, electronic games, etc. to keep kids up later??

Please consider just getting more sleep for the victim of one of these problems before trying anything else! I did see that Ted mentioned sleep being a problem and was trying to go into what to give so they can sleep better. According to Dr. Weissbluth, sometimes just going to bed earlier makes it easier to sleep because if you go too late, when you're too fatigued, you actually CAN'T get to sleep because of hormones you release when overtired. So consider just an earlier bedtime!

At one point, my 8 year old's supposed ADD/ADHD was at it's worst peak. He would throw "big kid" trantrums and become very easily frustrated. At this particular time, I realized he wasn't getting enough sleep. So I had him go to bed earlier, and the tantrums mostly stopped. He's still fidgety and has issues focusing, especially in school, but whenever he has a poor night's sleep, I know it's going to be a bad day. I don't know about his diet, but I suppose it's what might be considered normal, and without much sugar or fast food. No plans on changing that.

I am skeptical on the medical stance of ADD/ADHD. Of course, most of us here want to stay away from drugs. But I'm sure some children do have real issues, and some children just need real boundaries. This is a world where children gain instant gratification from tv, video games, internet, ipods, cell phones and the hundreds of other electronics they are exposed to. I mean, why does a 7 yr old even need a phone, let alone their own Firefly? It's so rare to see the child whose daily life consists of the enjoyment of reading, hiking in the woods, fishing, and the like. Even sports have, for many, lost its value of just playing the sport. I am not surprised to hear so many more of these ADD/ADHD cases in today's world. And here I am, young myself, in my 20's. My son, how surprising, is very calm and focused on the occassions he plays video games. Imagine that!

I tell him to turn off that tv and go play outside.

My son, now 7 years had sleeping problems since a few months old. Started with colic. After almost 3 years of ear infections, stomach viruses and not sleeping well... I researched possible issues. I took him to a neurologist because that is what his pediatrician suggested. He said he thought he had sleep apnea. He wanted to do a overnight $5,000 dollar test on him before trying anything else. I brought up to him the idea of food allergies. He dismissed it instantly and said there was no proof of that. So I decided to try an elimination diet, before we had this test. Within 2 days of taking wheat, dairy, nuts, soy, corn, sugar, food dyes, etc. From his diet he slept peacfully through the night. Never in 3 years did he sleep so good. His digestive system was out of balance from all the antibiotics he had taken every month for almost 3 years. I have had to help with enzymes and supplements and diet to restore his digestive tract to normal. I give him a gluten/dairy free diet. It is hard, but worth all the work to keep my son from having nightmares and get some sleep myself too :)

Hi all was wondering if anyone was sure if melatonin is safe for kids to take, I have heard that they can and some say they cant I am a mother of an 11 year old boy with ADHD and severe anger issues and need help. I have tried medicating and and decided to take him off the concerta and clonidine he was taking that to help him sleep, but he stays up till 2 and 3 in the morning which is really starting to affect him at school failing grades are a big issue right now, not to mention the phone calls from his teacher several times a week, So I am wanting to try the melatonin 3mg. to see if he gets some better sleep and hope maybe he will start doing better in school. Thanks for any feedback I am desperate at this point, Tasha

My son has been on Melatonin for a few years now. We started at 3 mg and it did nothing to help him sleep. We are now on 5 mg. My pediatrician says that it cannot harm your child. It is completely safe. I have my child on FOCALIN 40 mg. We deal with ADD as well in the mornings.

I am just getting on board with homepathic remedies b/c I do not like the side effects of this controlled substance. We have been on it for a while and it has not made my life easier at all. My son deals with ticks/twitches, has anxiety and has trouble sleeping. I need some guidance in this aspect as well. I did want to comment on the MELATONIN though. My son is also on TRAZADONE at night to sleep. This was not working until I added teh 5 mg MELATONIN to it. I think it(Melatonin) is wonderful and start off low first then increase if need be. I just want my children to be normal...

My son tried the 3 mg of melatonin because he was staying up all night and it did put him to sleep, but he developed a rash on his body that really bothered him so he decided he's rather stay awake. He is 11.