Many parents of children with ADHD wonder: can coffee or caffeine help their child focus better? Online, you'll find different opinions—from complete prohibition to recommendations to give coffee instead of medication. Let's look at what science says as of 2025.
Quick Answers to Key Questions
| Question | Short Answer |
|---|---|
| Can caffeine help with ADHD? | Theoretically yes: it slightly increases dopamine and norepinephrine—substances that are often lacking in ADHD. So some children may experience slightly more focus and less impulsivity. |
| Does it help in practice? | For most—very weakly or not at all. In large research reviews (hundreds of children), caffeine on average doesn't outperform a regular placebo. |
| What doses show an effect? | Studies gave 3–6 mg per 1 kg of child's weight. For a 30–35 kg child, that's 100–200 mg per day—roughly 2–4 shots of espresso. That's already a lot and often causes side effects. |
| Are there cases where it really helped? | Yes, but rarely and mainly in combination: caffeine + L-theanine (a substance from green tea). In boys 8–15 years old, sustained attention and self-control improved, and this was visible even on brain scans. |
| How much caffeine is safe for a child? | Official recommendations: 6–12 years—no more than 2.5 mg per 1 kg of weight per day. Examples: • 25 kg → maximum 60–65 mg • 35 kg → maximum 85–90 mg That's roughly half a small cup of regular coffee or one cup of weak tea. |
| Can caffeine replace treatment? | No. Even in the best cases, the effect is weak and short-lived. |
- Coffee is not treatment—at most, a light morning support in very mild cases.
- The gentlest and most pleasant option—weak coffee with milk (30–50 mg) or good green tea/matcha in the morning (there, caffeine comes with L-theanine—less nervousness).
- If your child already has trouble falling asleep, gets overexcited quickly, or has severe anxiety—caffeine will almost certainly make it worse.
- Before trying, be sure to consult your doctor—each child has their own sensitivity.
Bottom Line
In short: a small cup of weak coffee or green tea in the morning—you can carefully try it and observe for a week or two. If it helped a little—good; if it didn't help or made things worse—remove it immediately. But don't count on serious help from coffee.