ADHD & Sleep: Problems and Solutions
Experts are working hard to explore the ties between ADHD and sleep.
Life can feel like a cycle of sleep deficit and fatigue for people with ADHD, who often find it difficult to fall or stay asleep.
When tired, your ADHD symptoms worsen and lead to sleeping issues.
Medications taken to manage ADHD symptoms – and the symptoms themselves – can interrupt sleep. The cycle continues.
Additional problems with ADHD and sleep can stem from a variety of factors, such as a bad schedule, eating before bed, or anxiety.
If you’re living with ADHD and looking for useful tips and information you can use to reduce both the long- and short-term effects of sleep loss due to your ADHD – you’re in the right place.
It’s important to understand why ADHD affects sleep. ADHD can begin to disturb sleep from around the age of 12 but doesn’t always correspond with other symptoms. However, ADHD and sleep issues can stay with you into adulthood.
Originally published on January 11, 2019, this post was republished on October 24, 2022.
Sleep Disorders Associated with ADHD
In addition to the aspects of daily life that can cause you sleep problems, several sleep disorders are associated with ADHD, including:
Insomnia
Insomnia affects many people. It can have many causes, including everyday stressors, an erratic schedule, or too much caffeine.
Studies show that many adults with ADHD have insomnia.[1] From random bursts of energy as soon as you get into bed to being unable to get your brain to power down. Insomnia and ADHD can also cause you to lie awake in bed for too long before falling asleep.
It’s not just the act of falling asleep that can be muddied. Once people with ADHD fall asleep, it’s not always restful. Restlessness (some with ADHD twitch in their sleep) and being a light sleeper can come into the equation.
When sleep is broken up like this, it causes unwanted drowsiness the next day, making your day-to-day life more difficult, let alone dealing with ADHD too!
Sleep Apnea
Almost a third of those with ADHD say they experienced sleep disorder-related breathing issues. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are both high on the list.
These types of ailments are associated with obesity. It’s a big issue, too, with around 40% of individuals with ADHD struggling with weight problems.
While studies are still ongoing, treatment of sleep apnea has been shown to improve symptoms of ADHD.[2]
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological problem that causes a tingling sensation in the lower limbs and an irresistible urge to move those limbs to achieve some kind of relief. This happens most often while people are asleep or resting.
In the US, a mere 2% of the population suffers from RLS in the general population, but when we look at those with ADHD, the issue spikes significantly.[3]
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is the most commonly associated sleep disorder with ADHD.[4] It involves the body’s circadian rhythm. DSPS happens when your body is out of sync with regular sleep-wake patterns. People with this disorder tend to fall asleep later and, as a result, wake up later.
DSPS usually results in daytime sleepiness, something you don’t want to deal with when you have to balance work and family. Not to mention, sleep is a primary element in reducing ADHD symptoms.
Tips for Adults with ADHD to Get Better Sleep
If you’re struggling with any of the above sleep disorders and ADHD, below is a list of tips to help you get some much-needed sleep.
Discovering how to put your sleeping pattern back on track is one of the best ways to ensure a better, happier, and healthier life with ADHD.
Create a Regular Bedtime and Wake-Up Routine
Go to bed at a set time every night and make sure you’re out of bed or awake by a set time every morning. This will do wonders to support healthy sleep and overall well-being.
Get Enough Exercise
ADHD typically means there’s more energy to play with. This is perfect because having a regular exercise routine is a proven way to help you get sound sleep. It also assists with staying asleep.
Experts recommend getting at least 30 to 40 minutes per day to help alleviate ADHD symptoms.
Leave Hyperfocused Activities for the Daytime
If you have ADHD, you know how easy it is to get wrapped up and hyperfixated on an activity you find stimulating – and how difficult it is to stop when it’s time for bed.
Leave those activities for the daytime to prevent disengagement issues around bedtime.
Take Warm Baths
Enjoying a warm bath is a great way to relax the muscles and soothe your state of mind. This is one of the oldest natural sleep aids!
Drink Herbal Tea
Herbal teas (those with no caffeine) are wonderful at helping create natural relaxation and a more seamless transition into the first stage of sleep. Chamomile and passionflower are two of the most effective.
Use Positive Mental Attitude Techniques
If racing thoughts are keeping you up at night, try some calming, positive mental techniques. Things like meditation, soothing music, brown noise, or podcasts designed for sleep can help quiet your mind and relax your body for sleep.
Note: These tips are all known to work, but some will be more effective for certain individuals than others. It’s worth giving them all a chance to discover what works best for you and your needs.
References
1. Fadeuilhe, C., Daigre, C., Richarte, V., & Corrales, M. (2020). Insomnia Disorder in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Patients: Clinical, Comorbidity, and Treatment Correlates. Frontiers in Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.663889
2. Youssef NA, Ege M, Angly SS, Strauss JL, Marx CE. Is obstructive sleep apnea associated with ADHD? Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Aug;23(3):213-24. PMID: 21808754. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21808754/
3. Roy M, de Zwaan M, Tuin I, Philipsen A, Brähler E, Müller A. Association Between Restless Legs Syndrome and Adult ADHD in a German Community-Based Sample. J Atten Disord. 2018 Feb;22(3):300-308. doi: 10.1177/1087054714561291. Epub 2015 Jan 2. PMID: 25555628. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25555628/
4. van Andel E., Bijlenga D., Vogel SWN, Beekman ATF, Kooij JJS. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome in Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial on the Effects of Chronotherapy on Sleep. Journal of Biological Rhythms. 2022;0(0). doi:10.1177/07487304221124659
16 Comments
It’s hard to get the discipline to go to sleep at a decent hour when you have ADHD.
I hear you and am affected by this as well. I sm going to give it a try. If nothing changes, nothing changes! Good luck!
I’ve had DSPS, Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, since I was a young teenager. I simply could not fall asleep at a “normal” hour (before 2 or 3 am) or wake up at one (before noon, 1, 2 pm, or even later). In college, I experienced excessive daytime sleepiness no matter how well I tailored my schedule to my DSPS. I started having “sleep attacks” leading to mandatory short naps several times a day, hypnogognic hallucinations while trying to sleep, inability to wake up at a set time in the AM even with four alarms and my partner helping me leave the bed, and a “cognitive delay” where I’m pretty much not there for an hour after an alarm wakes me. Even if I sleep to my “natural” rhythm, 2-3 am to 12-2 pm, with involuntary wakings at times, I still don’t feel rested and need to nap more than once during the afternoon and evening. I tried one of those phone sleep apps for a few weeks. I doubt they are reliable, but apparently I go into REM within six minutes, even less when taking a daytime post-“fell asleep at my desk” nap. I’d hoped my ADHD medication would have helped my sleep issues, but my meds are great for my ADHD but do not in any way impact my daytime auto-sleep moments, delayed sleep phase, inability to wake at a certain time and be quickly “alert”, need for many hours of sleep plus naps and–as I forgot to mention–occasional insomnia and waking throughout the night.
I was then prescribed Provigil to help the excessive daytime sleepiness, but all it did was take the “sleep attacks” from full unconsciousness to “must go to bed now, about to collapse…ok, I’m in bed, exhausted, here’s those hypnogognic hallucinations, but why am I unable to fully go to sleep? Pointless!”
I don’t know what seeing a sleep specialist will do, given that I’ve tried all the medications (that I know of at least) for narcolepsy/EDS to no avail.
The focus on positive thinking “happy thoughts” is overrated and negate the validity of anxiety to begin with. It’s ok to feel what we feel. There is nothing wrong with US at any given time. The anxiety is the brains MESSENGER that something isnt right anyway. Positive thinking techniques only compounds the anxiety in the long term. Think of it as a fever. If you cant figure out what is making you feel sick, when you started noticing the signs, then just relax/stimulate your mind either via exercise (as mentioned in the article), distractions eg movies, music, entertaining Ted clips or ytbe crash course or fun adult colouring, or closing the curtains and laying down in darkness or pillow over your head and close your eyes and just daydream away (that is infact opening the door for your mind to freely process without youre forcing it to take on more work including the redundant and futile positive thinking balogne) etc etc Positive thinking is only an attempt to trick your brain and itll bite you in the butt. Anxiety is valid. There is NOTHING wrong with YOU. Anxiety is just sensory overload and your brain is struggling. My point is: DONT fight it. Youll make yourself 10times worse. JUST ROLL WITH IT. ACCEPT IT. Accepting doesnt mean embracing. Youre simply just accepting it. It is what it is.
? agreed.
Futile positive thinking bologna? Stress causes inflammation throughout the body. It’s not about ignoring stressors in life; it’s about being positive about them.
Laugh at your stressors. Nothing is that big of a deal; take everything one thing at a time. 😀 I’ve seen some darkness, and if I had been negative it would have been worse for everyone.
But to each their own lol. You do you; there isn’t much reason to allow unproductive stress.
I don’t think their comment meant be negative all the time or pessimistic, I read it more as allowing yourself to fully acknowledge your bad feelings and anxiety as your body’s alert system. I’m also generally a positive person, but I had to teach myself to listen to my anxiety when it popped up instead of suppressing it or trying to medicate it away (meds are a viable resource for anxiety I’m not saying don’t take them). Understanding the cause of my anxiety, even if it’s illogical, gives me the ability to process it and give myself what I need, trying to “push through it” and “stay positive” made me lose control and spiral into panic attacks without knowing how to ask for help. Positive thinking is an important life skill, but so is looking at a situation realistically and not lying to yourself about your emotions.
As an adult with ADHD, having worked in healthcare ehh 20 years. My work has taken me through situations where I’ve worked nights where I’ve worked days. worked on call shifts. After attempted both on and off medications. I found if I get a regular sleep schedule and I take my stimulants without missing them I actually get better sleep and less day time sleepiness. If I flub up and take my medicine too late or I miss meds for a minute then yeah that messes up my sleep a little when I have to reintroduce. Shift work though on call it’s the worst the worst I just can’t people don’t understand this but I really just can’t I try and that’s like my ADD is on steroids. It’s brutal as hellish. I get random bouts of tiredness really crappy sleep wake up a lot by the time I get my sleep right again it’s time for me to be on call again. I’m middle-aged now and I’m really worried that I can’t do this until I’m retirement age and survive I need a career change I think but what?
ADD/ADHD may very well be a number of different problems all grouped together by common symptoms. Despite the fact that some types of ADD respond to amphetamines, insufficient dopamine itself is usually not the cause of ADD. Insufficient dopamine trasporter or lack of magnesium due to hyper-excretion may be issues in some cases. But most likely ADD won’t really be understood till it’s broken out into multiple sub-groups.
Some forms of ADD are, arguably, towards the normal end of the autism spectrum which would mean that things like ubiquinol which help improve anti-oxidant status in some people with autistsm might also help people with ADD.
So you know nothing about ADD and yet you so confidently state what it is not, relate it to Autism and then recommend a supplement! You are a New Age clap trap snake oil vampire. Get lost and get off this site. If you don’t have ADD then why are you here? If you are giving medical opinions/advice then state your credentials or get lost.
Ugh i hate insomnia. Does anyone feel like if someone says or does something negative for example bring up a sore subject as your about to crawl into bed it totally ruins the night and you will be awake the entire night thinking about stupid pointless things? Or it seriously pisses you off? Also how in the heck i may be speaking for my self but it is killing me but i am NEVER NEVER on time for anything. What the heck. I have every intention on being on time. I set my uniform.out night before make lunches etc. What does it seriously take? I can be expected at work at 12noon. I could honestly wake up at 4 am or for that matter probably be sitting in my works parking lot and i will be late. Please help!
@shelly YESSS.
Whoever posted the tips at the end doesn’t have this problem. Seriously: set a “regular bedtime”, “drink herbal tea”.
You think that’s not the first thing people try? I haven’t had a good night sleep in my life and a cup of tea isn’t going to fix this.
Why even write this article? What was actually said here that isn’t obvious?
I agree with you on this. I am tired of articles that offer some “quick” but not in-depth tips for something as pervasive as sleep issues. It does more to discourage and harm than help.
I have not had a good sleep for over ten years. I’m starting to go crazy. I’m depressed and very
anxious. It is also two fifteen am as I write this. Help! Spending a fortune on trial and error drugs and other sleep aids. Would a stimulant work? My doc prescribed a sleeping pill which
caused me to prepare for the Olympics hurdle races. This problem is impacting my life. Any
ideas? I am a seventy-eight year old female and do not take any drugs, nor do I drink or eat anything with caffeine. Help.
I have ADHD, so I can really relate to the difficulties associated with sleep issues that are discussed here. Vancouver Sleep Clinic Finding a post that specifically tackles the challenges faced by individuals with ADHD is encouraging. Your practical and excellent suggestions for enhancing the quality of sleep are much appreciated.