ADHD, Autism and Drinking Water: How Can I Make Myself Drink More?

ADHD, autism and drinking water? It may be more complicated than you think. If you are neurodivergent, you may struggle with getting hydrated. Autistic people often have problems with drinking plain water, while people with ADHD can forget to drink enough. Whether you need tips to make drinking water more sensory-friendly, reminders to keep hydration on your radar, or creative alternatives to traditional water, this blog post is here to help. You’ll find here practical strategies designed with neurodivergent needs in mind, from flavor hacks to clever routines. Ready to make staying hydrated easier? Let’s dive in!

Disclaimer: This blog is based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, treatment, or medications.
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Autism and drinking water:

When you are autistic, drinking plain water can be an unpleasant sensation. Whether it’s the taste or the texture, staying hydrated can be a genuine challenge. But you’re not alone, and there are plenty of creative strategies to make hydration easier. 

• Try adding a flavor: juice, lemon, cucumber, mint leaves, a zero-calorie water enhancer like Mio drops, or even flavoring drops with electrolytes.
• A herbal tea is also a good option for hydration. If you don’t like it hot, you can let it cool overnight in the fridge.
• Try sparkling water for a different texture.
• Try a different temperature of your drink. Make it hot or cold.
• Add ice to your drink.
• Use a bottle with a pop-top lid for a different sensory experience
• Try drinking out of a straw
• Use trace mineral drops to see if they make you want to drink more.
• Try eating your water instead. Eat grapes, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, or strawberries.

If you have ADHD and forget to drink water:

If you have ADHD, staying hydrated can feel like an impossible task. You hyperfocus or get distracted, and the whole day goes by, and you havent drank enough. But dehydration can make ADHD symptoms worse and make you foggy, tired, and more distracted. If you can’t drink enough water, try these tips and see if you can turn staying hydrated from a chore into a doable (and maybe even fun) part of your day.

• Get a water bottle with a time marker and put it somewhere readily available and within your line of sight.
• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to drink water.
• Use the Plant Nanny app that will remind you to drink (when you don’t, the cute flowers in the app will wilt!)
• Drink a bottle of water every time you pee.
• Keep a bottle of water by your bedside and drink it first thing in the morning.
• Add red pepper flakes and lemon to your water to make it spicy so you will drink more.
• Find something that you already do multiple times a day and attach drinking water to this habit.
• When you drink, make it a habit to chug the water for a set amount of seconds every time.
• Eat spicy, salty, or dry food to increase your thirst.
• Subscribe to r/hydrohomies on Reddit for some positive reinforcement.

Hydration isn’t just about water. It’s about giving your body and brain what they need to function, feel, and focus. enough water isn’t always simple—especially when your brain has its own rules.If it’s hard for you, that doesn’t mean you’re lazy or broken. It means your brain works differently, and you might need different strategies. That’s okay.

Whether you’re tweaking the taste, playing with temperature, or setting reminders on your phone (or Plant Nanny), every small step counts. And the best part? You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep experimenting until you find what works for you.

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Are you a walking contradiction?

Having an AuDHD brain is a challenge. You fit some criteria for both autism and ADHD, but you don’t find yourself in them, not completely.

In some things, you are the complete opposite of autism. In some ways, you are the complete opposite of ADHD. And you always want two different things at once. You are constantly pulled in two completely opposite directions.

It’s exhausting. And difficult to navigate.

In the ebook AuDHD Experience, I talk about the constant inner conflict. About autistic days and ADHD days. About the AuDHD burnout and why it’s so hard to get out of it. About balancing these two very different sets of needs – and about self-acceptance, despite the odds. If you want to feel that someone gets you, this ebook is just the thing for you. Check it out now!

Helen Olivier is a neurodivergent writer, AuDHD explorer, and professional overthinker with 40+ years of lived experience in the wonderfully weird world of ADHD + autism. She writes for people who’ve been told they’re “too much” or “not enough,” offering comfort, clarity, and the occasional executive dysfunction survival hack. Her blog is her way of turning daily chaos into useful insights for other neurodivergent folks.

This blog is based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, treatment, or medications.