Sleep and ADHD
People with ADHD often have a harder time with sleep. The reasons for this are multifactorial but what we do know is that symptoms of ADHD and sleep deprivation overlap. Not having enough sleep can cause a person to experience symptoms similar to ADHD and also make ADHD symptoms worse, such as trouble concentrating, paying attention, short term memory, and mood. This is why it is particularly important for people with ADHD to prioritize their sleep.
One issue that I hear a lot from my clients is that they have trouble falling asleep because they are experiencing racing thoughts, which means they are thinking and worrying about different things that feel out of their control, and feeling agitated and restless. The best way to help with racing thoughts at night is to create a “wind down” routine before bed that includes some strategies for interrupting those racing thoughts when they pop up.
Our brains and bodies need time to calm down and prepare for sleep. Just like how the sun goes down slowly, our bodies can not “switch off” when it’s time for sleep but rather need time to get adjusted and prepared for sleep. You can help yourself do this by scheduling a “power down hour” before bed where you do the same routine every night so that your body knows that it will soon be time to sleep. This might be doing some gentle stretching, taking a bath or shower, listening to calming music, reading a book or doing puzzles. You can also use this time to write down any racing or anxious thoughts in a journal so that they are not knocking around in your mind all night.
Create “sleep associations” will become part of your routine. Meaning that your brain and body will start to recognize certain activities as related to sleep which will cue your brain to start winding down. For example, you should only use your bed for sleeping. Not doing homework, playing games, eating, or anything else. This way you will start to associate the bed with sleeping and become more calm when you are in bed.
When racing thoughts pop up, you can interrupt them with intentional breathing and meditation exercises.
Falling asleep and staying asleep is not as easy as it sounds. It may take a while to really establish your routines before you start to see the benefits. But with practice, patience, and a little experimentation to find what works best for you, you will find that sleeping becomes easier and you will feel better during the day. You can do it!
