so there are a lot of nights that I just can't turn my brain, and even sometimes my body off. It's not the easiest thing to handle, but life is what it is right? My problem is that during the day is when I have work, and classes and whatever else to get taken care of. Does anyone have any advise as to how to best deal with the situation? A good way to handle it with bosses and teachers? anything?
3/16/10 12:36pm
Thanks for your question and welcome to ADHDCentral.com.
You are certainly not alone, many adults with ADHD complain of not being able to get to sleep, waking up through the night and either not being able to get up in the morning (and then being late) or waking up early and getting tired throughout the day.
There is some information on the site about sleep and ADHD:
Using Stimulants to Improve Sleep in Adults with ADHD
You might also want to check out MySleepCentral.com , there is a lot of great information and tips on getting a good night's sleep there.
I hope this helps
Eileen
3/18/10 10:33am
I've been gratefully using sleepy strains of cannabis, or any strain of cannabis( the more creative strains still help me sleep, after the creativity subsides ) to sleep since age 13 for approxamately 13 years. It makes all the difference in the world!
3/18/10 9:32pm
For several years now, I have been taking Trazadone, 10 mg and it has made all the difference in the world for me. Before I started taking it, I took a sleep test and woke up 56 times in the 5 1/2 hours that I slept - it was really no wonder I felt sleepy all the time! Hope this helps and good luck!!
3/19/10 12:46pm
maybe you should talk to your doctor who is definitely used to this happening to lots of other people taking the same medication as it's not completely abnormal, it's a very common and obnoxious side-effect. it tends to lessen over time if you are lucky, but not everyone has time for waiting it out and it can be frustrating. hopefully you aren't just lying there in bed, tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling? maybe you need to consider lowering your dosage of adderall, i think it would help to improve your sleeping situation, at least it's worth trying for. you don't have to lessen the dose significantly, just maybe a tiny bit? i don't know, sometimes this helps with people.
have you looked into some natural home remedies for stress/sleep? i suggest valerian root, melatonin, and bach's flower rescue remedy for sleep (the best one!) - this is all availible to you over the counter at drugstores and is affordable and won't hurt to try, as far as i know. look into melatonin. you need sleep!
3/22/10 8:27am
Try to gradually wind down before bed. No intense movies, dim the lights, no intense brain stimulating computer games. Warm up a glass of milk and let it cool to drinking temp about an hour before. (heating creates melantonin in milk)
At bedtime, darken the room completely. Then in bed, start a sequence of muscle relaxing starting at the top of your head, -slowly- relaxing every muscle, scalp, ears, eyes, forehead, cheeks, jaw, neck, shoulders, and so on til you reach your toes. Most nights, I barely get to my shoulders.
5/13/10 4:09pm
This is a very familiar topic with me and at my house. You can work on developing a bedtime routine to help you go to sleep.
I often take epsom salts baths to help me relax. The magnesium in the salts are natural muscle relaxers and can help your body relax along with the hot water. Exercise caution if you are diabetic.
I also would think about a project to help my mind relax. I was into woodworking several years ago. I would visualize a project, then go through each step. I would visualize selecting the board, measuring and cutting each board, then before I knew it I was asleep.
I sometimes drink coffee in the evenings to help me sleep. Often I only had to drink half of a cup before I was sleepy. I think it may have been more of the sitting still and relaxing rather than the coffee. My doctor of course pooh-pooh this and said it was the wrong thing to do. I reminded him of something called the paradox effect. Stimulants have the opposite effect on ADHD people.
If all fails, get up and do something to keep you busy. I clean my kitchen or do the laundry. I accomplish something and it helps me relax since the room is clean. A dirty kitchen is stressful to me. I also do things like sudoku puzzles or crochet to relax. I tend to hyperfocus on those projects and that helps me to turn off the outside world.
Medications to control your ADHD can contribute to your insomnia. Try taking your medication earlier in the day. Discuss with your doctor adjusting your medication to a split dose with the the higher fast acting dose in the morning and a lower dose in the afternoon. If none of the above suggestion works, ask your doctor about some medication to help you sleep.
Be sure to write and share what solution you find.
Reta
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By prettygirl87— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 03/16/10
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