REDUCE computer tablet usage for children with ADHD.

Comments from the NEUROLOGIST, 

I have been seeing more and more kids in my office who have ADHD inattentive or hyperactive, and they are spending huge amounts of hours per day on their computers.  I have been seeing a trend that the more time the kids spend on their computers, the worse their ADHD has become.  I just read an article that may explain this. This is an article written by Dr. Mariana Figueiro at RPI in Applied Ergonomics, in which she found that light from self–luminous tablet computers can suppress levels of the important hormone, melatonin.  Melatonin is important in the brain because it plays an important part in the brain’s determining our circadian rhythms (when we feel sleepy and when we are feeling awake) .  If our circadian rhythms are not functioning properly, our sleep is not restorative. For growing kids, good quality sleep is an absolute necessity. Sleep is necessary for kids to do well with controlling behavior, ability to pay attention in school and for higher quality schoolwork.

I find that if I only prescribe medications against headache, this single approach does not work well for many patients. But if I discuss with the parents a plan for reducing usage of computer tablets, and increasing exercise, and watching over the diet, I see much stronger success in treating ADHD.