sleep issues | ADHD Information

 i have always been a stickler about my kids getting enough sleep, even when they were toddlers i was always home for their naps:)  my daughter started on adderal 10 days ago and it's going well...except for the sleep issue.  she's not falling asleep until 10:30 or even 11:30 at night.  now, some have told me to give it time, my dd's body needs at least 2 weeks to get used to it.  another knowledgeable source told me that once she's upped to 10 mg that may help as well.  (we will be upping her dose yet this week).  we've done the no tv before bed...the warm baths, the reading, the soft music, the back rubs, etc...

my husband keeps telling me that sleep is a brain thing and maybe she won't need as much sleep while on a stimulant.  she's 9 years old and i'm just worried about the whole sleep thing, i know i like my sleep:) :) :) :)  i don't want her getting sick, etc because she's not getting enough sleep.  she looks tired on some days...but not every day. 

she's being quiet in her room...she's trying to sleep...it just seems like it's just taking her longer.  i've tried giving her adderal earlier in the morning too...but on the days when i did that it truly didn't seem to make any difference.  she's on 5 mg right now...and i've always given it to her by 8 am or so, and it's supposed to last 10-12 hours. 

any advice? 

shelley 

   

Ask your doctor if giving Melatonin is ok.  It is over the counter, at the drug store in the vitamin/supplement section. 

When Chase was having problems I would give him 1 3mg tablet about an hour before I wanted him in bed.  He told me that it made him "cozy and drowsy" so that he wanted to stay in bed to sleep. Others on this message board have had good success with it as well.

i brought up the topic of melatonin at the initial appointment, but the pediatrician didn't seem real keen on it.  i haven't researched all the forms of melatonin...does it come in a liquid or a capsule?  my dd hasn't mastered pill swallowing yet.

i will pursue melatonin if this continues...i'm not sleeping because she's not sleeping...and when mamma ain't happy, nobody is happy:) :) :) :) LOL one night she must have gone downstairs, our christmas tree was on when my husband got up for work:(  i just prefered both kids asleep by 9:30 or so...this 11:30 stuff is bothering me...i worry how our mornings will go then...and then my brain doesn't quit:)  

shelley 

My son is also doing very well with earlier sleep now that he takes Melatonin - 1mg or 2mg is all he needs. And he then sleeps from 9am to 6am. Yes, 6am is early, but in our family that works fine.

I did as much research as I could and his pediatrician approved.

Good luck!

We used Melatonin for a long time with my son until we added a new med for weight loss that also helps with sleep.  My ds couldn't swallow a pill either.  I found at GNC a pill they call sublingual (meaning it melts under the tongue)  I found it was just easier for him to chew it (cherry flavor)  It worked like a charm for getting him to go to sleep, but it didn't  help  him stay to sleep.  Good luck

it is teh double edge sword, meds keep them up at night. We are on meds to calm us down cause the suppliments didnt work, we run around to burn off steam, take baths, and read stories before bed and still nothing 1am my son is bouncing on my other son.....so we had to do meds..agh!!I think the problem with Melatonin and doctors are because it is a vitamin suppliement.  Our pediatrition told us problem with vitamins are "they are not FDA approved" why some may be ruluctant.  It is my guess.  I would talk to the doctor about the hours of sleep for they can tell you better if it is a problem or not.Hello Shelly. I agree with Chasesmom. You might want to try melatonin. I have sleep issues with my 9 year old son. And the Doctor recommended melatonon. To take 3mgs an hour before bed. My fiance and me were having trouble with him every night. He would wake us up 3-4 times a night. I need my sleep i work 11 1/2 hours a day. I don't how my son focused in school. It was crazy. My 9 year old is still trying to climb in bed with us. Now if he gets up to go the washroom he goes back to bed by himself. It does relax him before bed. So give it a try and let me know how it goes. Hugs to you NerakIs melatonin not a sleep regulating hormone  shelley my daughter has the same problem and shes not even on medication.
My son and I had the same problem as children.
I could not fall asleep until 12 or 2am.

What helped my daughter is milk tryptophan ,reading books in bed, not making sleep too much an issue.as in being stressed and causing pressure and negative atmosphere
Does she feel pressured to sleep

My father should have let me read instead of turning the lights off.

Melatonin can be risky. Heard of Valerian
I am also a fan of warm milk.  My son takes adderall and thankfully sleep is not an issue.  He will occasionally ask for a cup of warm milk and a donut and this seems to do the trick.You didn't say whether your daughter is having a problem because she's
sleeping less. Is she harder to wake in the mornings? Is she irritable in the
mornings? If she has a problem sleeping, sleep deprivation can look a lot
like ADHD, or she could have both. So the question is, has lack of sleep
always been an issue, or is it new. If it is new, is it a problem for her
(irritable, easily frustrated) or is it only a problem for you (time alone
without kids), If it is a problem for her, you can try the melatonin. I have
had success with Benadryl, and my kid isn't groggy in the morning. If it is
a problem for you (but she's okay with less sleep) then just the rule of
bedtime is at 8:30. Tell her "You can read or draw, or just lay awake, but
you have to stay in the bed." If she stays still and quiet in the bed, she
feels like she is in control and eventually she will fall asleep. If she gets
up, lights out try again tomorrow. I've been doing this for 5 years (she's
now 13) and she has learned to love to read, and she goes to sleep when
she needs to. No arguements, no problem.

If you are looking a non-prescription med. My doctor told me when I first started to also give him benedryl about 1 hour before bed. She said that all her ADHD moms swear by it.  I found that it was better if I gave it to my ds 1 1/2 hours before. 

Another little trick I learned was to play soft classical music. theory on that is that ADHDers are very fast paced. Their minds are racing a zillion times a minute. When you try to put them to bed in a otherwise "comfortable ennvironment" dark, quiet etc. They can not settle down. So if soft music is played they tend to focus on that and then their brain will let the body relax. This made sense to me and seems to be working.