Does this trick work for anyone else with ADHD?

[ADHDMumHere]

My husband has ADHD and usually forgets to drink water.
I tried giving him several small bottles instead of one big one.
He ended up drinking more without reminders.
Is this a common ADHD thing, or just a coincidence?

He doesn’t need to drink water. I only drink tea.

I live off Coca Cola and the odd squash. But yes, smaller manageable tasks are easier than one big overwhelming one.

I have a 5litre bottle of water in my bedroom beside the bed. First thing in the morning I decant some into a water bottle to take my meds with and carry the bottle downstairs with me sipping out of it as I feed varying pets and make coffee then I bring coffee upstairs and refill water bottle for car journey to work. It really has to be in my sight to remember it though. I think the small bottles if it works for him is a good idea.

I have adhd and out of sight out of mind is definitely a thing. I don't drink water either only coffee and occasionally squash. I do a 'cup collection' every other day or so to retrieve the many abandoned half drunk drinks I have floating around. After all, if I can't see it, it doesn't exist, so I have to make another one...

I would probably loose the big water bottle so having lots of small ones out help because I could loose a few and still have water.

Overall though I’m fine with just getting it from the tap.

He's just lazy and can't be arsed going to the tap all the time. If you do lots of bottles for him he doesn't have to move.

Don't attribute something that's laziness to ADHD.

Do you really need to baby your husband to this degree?

I HATE water. Don't know if that's my ADHD or personal preference, but I can't drink the stuff unless it's got juice in it, or preferably tea. But I live alone and have managed not to desiccate and float off with the wind, so I think your DH can probably manage.

It may be an adhd thing (I have two kids with adhd) but he needs to learn to do it himself.

I mean does he drink other fluid ? He isn't a child that needs his water bottle filled.

Why does he need to drink water? Has he been told to for a medical reason?

I think it can be a common ADHD thing, me and several others I know with ADHD will either forget to go and get water, or will carry a massive bottle round all day but not actually drink from it. Smaller bottles feel less overwhelming than needing to finish a big one. I also do better with bottles that are transparent so I can see the progress, and ones that have times on it to try and remind myself to sip at it but I will still go days where I don't remember to drink any.

I've never needed anyone to supply me with water though, I can fill up my bottle myself! It may be that you are just trying to support him to look after himself OP of your own volition which is admirable but don't let the ADHD become an excuse for weaponised incompetence.

As an aside, I'm stunned at the faux "why does he need to drink water?" shock. It's well known that we are all meant to be drinking water/squash/similar daily. No he won't keel over and die but he absolutely should be drinking something hydrating!

Posters have asked what he is drinking tbf, sometimes people just sip water all day because "hydration".but drinking a usual amount is fine.

I was less aiming it at the ones checking if what he drinks instead and more at the ones saying he doesn't need to drink water and can survive off tea (technically true but any doctor would tell you it's not good for your body!) or the one asking if there is a medical reason he needs to drink water. We should ALL be drinking water! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wow considering this is in MH, some of these replies are sad! Everyone needs water. For years I have survives ob 17 cups of tea/coffee a day. Not a droo of pure water ever passed my lips. Doesn't mean it was healthy! Now I have introduced water and started to drink more I feel so much healthier. Took me ages as I hate the taste of water and squash make me feel sick! Why are you all berating the op?

Op yes, adhd has many different quirks as my dd like to call it. Smaller bottles left around might be a better prompt for him than larger bottles. My dd has a bedroom bottles, a bottle in Her school bag and one for the lounge. She also has ocd so the bottles can't change rooms!

Someone with ADHD is likely to find it eadier to do something broken down into small steps rather than one large step, plus having water at hand rather than needing to go get it will facilitate the process.

However, there is no need for adults to drink large quantities of water, this is some weird urban myth that has taken hold and spread by a load of non scientific 'influencers'.

Actual scientific reports have shown that the vast majority of adults get all the water they need from food. If there is a deficit, then they will feel 'thirst', which can be quenced by any fluid.

Whilst there may be a few, rare, health conditions that negate that, for the vast majority, if you drink when you feel thirst, you will be perfectly healthily hydrated. Any good 'feelz' the average person gets from drinking lots of water is purely a placebo effect.

www.snopes.com/fact-check/water-works-2/

… you know nothing about ADHD then

Breaking tasks into small steps helps people with ADHD, and having water nearby reduces friction.
However, most adults do not need to drink large amounts of water thirst is the body’s signal, and drinking then is enough.

This I have ADHD I have routines

1. multivitamin dissolved in water as first thing in the morning drink
2. extra fibre dissolved in water as second drink
3. glass of water before bed

I have ADHD and I definitely drink more water when I use a small glass. I think it's because I can easily finish it then I go and refill it. Whereas if I use a big glass I generally stop drinking before the water is finished. Brains are weird!

And yes, everybody needs to drink water. Tea isn't as hydrating. I feel really rubbish by mid afternoon if all I've drunk all day is cups of tea.

My brand of ADHD means that I will fight routine with everything I have! This is why there's no 'one size fits all' with this sort of thing.

If OPs tip helps anyone, that's a good thing and worth posting for. No good for me, but there's all sorts out there!

The modern obsession with drinking water is ridiculous. If you are thirsty, have a drink.

How much water are you expecting him to drink you are just saying he/you/we need to drink water which is fine but how much ?

Adults need 3-4 litres of water a day … what diet are these so called people on?

Nhs guidelines is 2 litres of fluid a day the rest you just pee out.