Not Sleeping | ADHD Information

Amen to that. Never could sleep as a kid and often not as an adult. It's the brain going 60 miles to Christmas syndrome.

A couple of tricks.

Let them sing 100 bottles of beer on the wall. Better than counting sheep Run through the entire Beatles lyrics catalogue.

Calcium/magnesium supplements an hour before bed. Get healthy and fuzzy bones sleepy feeling simultaneously.

Hot bath before bed.

good bedtime habits such as reading first...

Right. ADHD is linked to sleeping issues. I'd try melatonin instead of the early bedtime. You can go up to 6 mg daily, 30 min before bed. Start with 1/2 mg and keep going up until you hit the right dose.

My youngest always had trouble getting to sleep from the time she was born. She always said her brain was too busy inventing things to sleep. When she started ADHD meds, it was the first time she would go to sleep around 10 (rather than midnight). We had to sort out whether sleeping issues were causing the ADHD symptoms or if the ADHD was causing the sleeping issues.

The oldest (who has inattentive form) uses melatonin on the nights she has problems sleeping, but these are not common with her.

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My daughter, also 12, sometimes goes to bed at 7:30.

I'm confused though. when you say insomnia is he waking up during the night or struggling to go to sleep? Does he take medication?

It is a good question. Regardless of whether my son is on meds or not, he is not one to just "fall asleep". Say I were to let him stay up late on a weekend - there is no way this child will be asleep before 2am, on ADHD meds or not. He's always been that way. Quit taking naps by 2 and has NEVER fell asleep on a long drive. If I put him to bed earlier than 9pm he seems to have more trouble getting to sleep - especially if it's summer and still light out because his mind is constantly thinking.

Anyone else's ADHD child have trouble sleeping (not due to meds)?

Sleep problems definitely are linked to ADHD.  The hyperactivity can interfere with sleep.  The stimulant meds also lead to sleep problems for some (separate issue than the hyperactivity affected their sleep).  Melatonin can help with this.  That's OTC.  Doctors also sometimes prescribe guanfacine or clonidine to help.  Your child (and the parents) can do things to make sleep better.

As far as the bedtime, my 7 year old goes to sleep at 9:30 and gets up around 7:15.

I didn't really mean insomnia....I don't know what to call it, so I just said insomnia...my son just cannot get to sleep. His bedtime is 9 and it takes him till at least midnite to fall asleep. I also forgot to say that my son is not on any medication at the present time. He was on Strattera, but that did not help...then we tried Focalin, and that didn't help him either...At the moment, we are on a break from medication.Lots of people use Melatonin to help with falling asleep successfully. You can read more about it on the alternatives board.Oh, right, the magnesium/calcium help my son go to sleep also. I give that a dinner time though. Mag is a muscle relaxer.