Do you have hyperactive kids?  Sometimes kids are just being kids and people are too quick to label them as hyper or having ADD or ADHD.  There’s a lot more to the ADD and ADHD than being hyper.  There are many reasons why kids can become hyper.  Check out 10 reasons your child is always hyper.

1. Food dyes:  There’s been a recent study in the UK where food dyes in drinks and snacks have been linked to a higher likelihood of hyperactivity.  Specific dyes mentions were FD&C Blue 1 and 2, FD&C Green 3, Orange B, FD&C Red 3, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5 and 6.  Avoiding artificial colors in your child’s foods may decrease the occurrences of hyperactivity.

2. Preservatives:  Food preservatives were looked at in combination with the artificial colors so studies say it’s hard to determine if preservatives alone cause hyperactivity in children, but recommendations have been made to reduce or try to eliminate preservatives from your child’s diet if they are always hyper.

3. Sugar: While studies cannot confirm a solid link between the consumption of sugar and hyperactivity the average teacher can.  If kids are given sugary snacks in the morning to celebrate a birthday they are louder and less focused for the rest of the day. The body turns sugars into carbs which fuel the body and give us energy.  Certain kids are more sensitive to the effects of sugar than others.

4. Overstimulation: In babies we know that overstimulation may cause them to cry inconsolably.  In older children overstimulation comes out in tantrums, aggressive behavior toward others and hyperactivity.  Hyperactive children tend to get into more fights with their peers and have trouble coping with situations on the playground.

5. Excessive television watching: It seems like television watching gets blamed for everything.  Teens go on killing rampages because they watched too much violence on TV; we have a generation of overweight kids now because of too much television, etc.  Now hyperactivity is also being linked.  Watching TV is a sedentary activity and children that are prone to hyperactivity should have an active lifestyle in order to help get rid of their extra energy.  Watching TV is not active and therefore should be limited to an hour a day according to experts for those children that are prone to hyperactivity.