Trouble Sleeping with ADHD?

[snickerdoodle23]

Something I have in common with many of my ADHD friends is difficulty falling asleep at night due to racing thoughts. Some of them have shared ways that help them fall asleep easier and avoid spirlaing thoughts, like forcing themselves to dream or focusing on creating an elaborate image in their mind. Some people I know have found that using substances is the only thing that calms their minds. I haven’t found anything that works for me. Do you have trouble falling asleep? If so, do you have any pointers on how to cope with it?

[BlessedLady]

Have you have a sleep study done ? Have you tried setting your TV to turn off after you go to sleep ?

[JazzElvis1]

this may sound silly but most of the time it works for me , I either think on boys names or girls names going up the alphabet, but a low dose like 15 mg elvanse in the morning , see to help me sleep once worn off , stoa thoughts somewhat !

[Pocockc]

In the past weed and beer worked but you get terrible sleep and often wake up after 4 hours. Now I use supplements of l-theanine and magnesium l-threonate. Also zinc works too. Avoid caffeine 8 hours before bed also helps. You will get better sleep and feel way better the next day than using weed and alcohol.

[Dwash]

Listening to a very boring audio story. With a gentle voiced reader usually helps me settle and fall asleep. I set the timer to 30minutes turn out all the lights.

[AussieADHD]

Unless I’m really tired, I need something to listen to so that my brain goes to one thing instead of a million. I know that doesn’t work for everyone because it distracts them from sleeping, but for me it works wonders. I listen to the really old radio show, “The Goon Show” and I’m asleep within minutes instead of hours 😎

[Hominid711]

On or off the meds? I am on Vyvanse which works for about 12-13h for me then I feel how it gradually wears off. Usually a small crash happens eventually and I sleep deeply and sound. Sometimes just for 5-6h but that's OK. Last night I had a couple of beers (2.5 pints shandy to be precise) and slept a great 7!

[Happy_03]

I’ve struggled with sleep my whole life, ever since childhood. I definitely understand the racing thoughts, not necessarily worrying about anything but just can’t get my mind to quiet down. Prior to meditation what I found helpful and still use as a nighttime routine now:

- Keep the lights off. From about dinner time I usually have only a lamp, tv, or hallway light on. I think it helps with your circadian rhythms?

- Do something relaxing like drinking a warm drink, stretching, breathing exercises to calm the body and mind.

- Take a hot/warm shower. Your body will then drop in temperature after you get out of the shower which helps you become sleepy.

- I also used to listen to brown noise or rain, however, don’t need this anymore due to meds that help. It only worked with my headband headphones or AirPods as it needed to be directly in my ears rather than background noise. It had to be loud enough to drown out my thoughts.

I’ve always hated the concept of “sleep hygiene” as it builds a ritual which you can only sleep if you do X. But slowly building these habits rather than rules can be beneficial. I also actually enjoy them and no longer see bedtime as a stressful thing.

These days I am taking Circadin which is an extended release 2mg melatonin which is great and doesn’t make you feel groggy the next day. Lately I’ve also added 0.1mg Clonidine which has been a game changer in calming my racing thoughts. It also makes you drowsy and within a couple of hours of taking Clonidine + melatonin I can no longer keep my eyes open. It’s been great!

Good luck to you. I have suffered a lot from insomnia all my life and have finally found relief with the help of the above.

[75ADHDgal]

Yes suggest sleep study to R/O ( means rule out ) sleep apnea. Also if you are on any medications might need so change . I was on Concerta I remember and even it I took it at 6 AM I often could not fall asleep at midnight

[SoVeryTired]

I got Loop ear plugs instead of a white/brown noise app. The nose machines make me uncomfortable and complete nose cancellation stresses me out. The loops just muffle other noises and I can hear myself breathing which helps me focus on keeping it calm.

I also play a Scrabble type game on my phone, even thought I know screen time isn't helpful. It makes me focus on one thing, but it's not something that leads to a train of thought. Once the game is over, 2 games if I'm not tired enough, I shut it off and wear an eye mask. My brain might keep going on letter combinations but it's not something that can lead to distracting thoughts.

[stevedomer123]

wow thats crazy i have the exact same my friends just told me think of a relaxing thought but thats basically impossible when you're adhd i tried several things none of them really work did you find anything

[NotAChevy]

Please see my post here called staying organized. I talk about doing a brain dump every night- that's the only thing that allows me to get any sleep.

[SmileyOne22]

Hi there,

This is an old post but I am guessing it is a highly relevant issue for many. Having a busy mind is common, I would think especially so for those of us with ADHD. I can tell you what has helped me:

- meditation before bed (lots of apps out there, I am currently using 10% Happier App)

- dark room (very important) - get an eye mask if needed

- quiet room (I often use ear plugs)

- cool room

- no screens (1 hour) before bed

- turn lights down lower 1 hour before bed

- avoid caffeine in the late afternoon/evening

- exercise during the day (can be as simple as a 20 minute walk) - important for ADHD folks

- be patient. . .learning to calm the mind is a skill, and it takes time. But you can do it!

Using alcohol, cannabis, and other sedatives can help one fall asleep, but these approaches haven't been great for me. . . it's not systemically healthy. What's more, even though I fall asleep easily, the quality of sleep is poor. Sleep is such an important component of our general health that it's worth seeking other approaches so that you can achieve quality sleep. There are many books out there that explore sleep, might be worth considering.

I highly recommend learning/trying meditation. . .it teaches us to first be aware of our thoughts. . .and learn strategies of how to quiet the racing mind. Hope some of my shared experiences can be of use.