Lack of sleep and adhd

[Gymini]

Newly diagnosed w adhd and am taking 20mg adderall and my biggest issue is the lack of sleep or only a couple hrs sleep,cant stay asleep for the entire nite, tried reading,no sugar,no coffee,ect . Very frustrating, any help is appreciated.

[AEppinette]

Talk to your doctor about it. I have been on Lunesta (sleep medicine) for a while and it gets me to sleep and keeps me asleep for 8 hours. I must have 8 hours or I will be pretty useless that day, even with my ADHD medicine.

[Eclecticentric77]

Hi there, I have Inattentive ADHD. I had and sometimes still have difficulty falling and staying asleep . The issues with sleep for those of us with ADHD, stem from having lower levels of specific neurotransmitters. Also once we start taking stimulant medication, this will change the equilibrium of other neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitter Serotonin is a precursor to Melatonin. Those of us with ADHD have low levels of Serotonin which in return gives us low levels of Melatonin. The pineal gland secretes Melatonin as we sleep, but due to having low amounts of it, remaining in sleep, and a lot of the time acquiring deep sleep is rather difficult.

The sleep regimen I take and recommend for those with ADHD I work with is:

1. Taking a special type of Melatonin. Studies have indicated that Melatonin in lower dosages (ie. micrograms-mcg. as opposed to milligrams mg.) is more effective. The company Life Extensions offers Melatonin 300mcg that is 6hr timed release, meaning that it helps the pineal gland secrete Melatonin throughout the night as opposed to the 1st hour or 2 (It's about $9 on Amazon). This helps tremendously with deep sleep and helps the individual stay asleep.

2. Taking an L-Theanine supplement right after the Melatonin. L-Theanine is the calming agent found in green tea, and is also quite helpful with Serotonin. Anxiety can arrive a lot of the time due to lower levels of Serotonin.

3. If you have Inattentive ADHD and or have difficulty falling asleep, the supplement N-Acetyl Tyrosine helps the brain with the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Norepinephrine, Dopamine is a neuromodulator of circadian rhythm (our sleep/wake cycle), and when its levels are low, our sleep wake cycle can get thrown off, making it hard to fall asleep when we plan to. If you're a light sleeper and can get easily awakened when your body feels uncomfortable throughout the night, a collagen supplement might be of great help in helping relax the body.

By implementing these two supplements, it helps the brain with both Serotonin and Melatonin, which are essential for good quality sleep. And if you have trouble falling asleep, the supplement N-Acetyl Tyrosine will assist with getting your circadian rhythm on check. Having a regular sleeping pattern is also very helpful. I hope this helps.

[Gymini in reply to Eclecticentric77]

Thx

[diverpunk in reply to Eclecticentric77]

L-Theanine- how much do you recommend? Great info!!! Also. What is your thoughts on magnesium higher doses?

[Eclecticentric77 in reply to diverpunk]

Hi there, thank you. I take 100mg of L-Theanine. I recommend Buffered Chelated Magnesium due to it being the most bioactive (most similar to what our body makes). I take 200mg of Magnesium, 2x a day. I recommend to speak to your healthcare provider about dosing with Magnesium in higher doses. Magnesium has a strong affect on digestion, and in higher doses can bring some issues for some people.

[Mille_5]

I struggle with sleep and honestly I don’t know how long I have. I have depression and anxiety as well so that doesn’t help.

I will take Benadryl sometimes (my doctor suggested it) to help me sleep but I still struggle to stay asleep through the night.

[Shnookie]

I take Clonazepam an anti- anxiety med that is supposed to help me fall asleep at night. Since, Covid, she has upped a little Still wake up every few hours..I try deep breathing,

listening to calming music l like on my phone and close ny eyes have and visualize somethin posive.

[alg60]

I also take Vyvanse 20mg. I was having the same issue. I now take it super early in the morning. I take it even as early as 5am and then go back to sleep. For some reason when you first take it you will sleep BETTER afterwards. Anyway, taking it early helps me sleep later at night. And Vyvanse can last most of the day for many people. You already confirmed that because you said you struggle to get to sleep, so it must still be working. Don't give up. It's trial and error. I feel your pain.

[mcfail]

Hey Gymini. You have likely already thought of this but would it help to take the Adderall early in the day? You may also have a dash of anxiety or depression. These often accompany ADHD. IF SO a serotonin uptake inhibitor (SRI) could help with the sleep as well since it regularizes serotonin as eclecticentric says

[Gymini in reply to mcfail]

Why change the time I take the adderall, if I take it the same time every day the dose never changes,correct or not. I have depression and the adderall is supposed to help w that,I also take anthrax for anxiety as often as needed.

[mcfail in reply to Gymini]

Some meds keep people awake if they are taken later in the day....I wondered if adderall was doing that?