Wake up strategies! | ADHD Information

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IMO, it's TEENS!

We have the same problem. Please let me know if you find a solution. My daughter will get up when her alarm goes off, but I'm not sure why, she takes FOREVER to get moving, very very sluggish.

It does seem worse when taking stimulant meds as opposed to some of the other meds we've used.

At one point I would go in and give her a regular release Ritilan 5mg when I got up at 4:45am. She's go back to sleep for about another hour, by then it would be working and she'd be able to follow along on task. Then give the RLA on her way out the door. Since it took 60-90 minutes to take effect the Ritila was starting to wear off anyway. Just a thought.

Your responses to my other questions have been so helpful!  THANK YOU!  Here's my last one (for now).   He just started high school.  For years, especially middle school with an earlier start time (7:30 AM), I have struggled with getting him up for school.  I've tried water in the face, alarm clocks, and on some days out of pure frustration just leaving him.  That accomplishes nothing -- we live too far for him to walk to school.

He takes Ritalin LA.  Is there a connection between the medication and being hard to get up?  He's never been a morning person, but he needs to be able to get up on his own!!  I can't continue to do this ... I have enough to do on my own.  I'm exhausted and tired of spending every morning irritated before I get to my own job.

Thanks!

Your son sounds just like my husband, I swear it takes the alarm going off about 6 times and me opening the curtains, and letting the kids run round (very loudly) before he makes it out of bed!!!
Good luck hope you find a way of getting him up, I think I was the same at his age, I seem to remember my dad tickerling my feet with a feather!!!

lazy.

but 

 is thier stimulus in the room also    like a radio left on all night

what about tv , a light   , busy street outside?

is the rest of house quiet through the night.

 

food  is the biggest of all motivator  -   limit snacks   - in the evening and make great smelling  food  in the morning.

 

make a time buffer   shower in the morning  with expectationsand restrictions if he doesnt shower    this creates a buffer time that puts emphasis on shower / food / bus    rather than just bus

 

turn the shower on  and gett it warm in the morning   keep him stimulated

after the intiatial wake up  .

allow for phone privileges  in the morning if he gets up early restict night phone privileges.

as his parent    why should he get up  and face the world?

if his situation sucks  your negativity and frustartion may actually feel better than going to school

 

now heres the hard part that usually when i  loose all credibility

nagging  someone awake only works  part of the time   it gets to the point where the nagger is tunned out completly.

 

so heres your assingment        write down five ways each day  on how wake him up without using words .

adhd  folks  dont hear   messages spoken in nagg.

 

i agree letting lay there lets them win.

so here what teens dont like very much  when playing hookie

 

nothing in the fridge but cottage cheese

cable tv  unscrewed from outside of house

unforseen visit from a counselor and school truancy cop or even a teacher  that never leaves  

 thier cell phone batteries  missing   and omg   they have to earn the replacement

i can tell you a million ways to deal that  but  respectfully    if it gets to that point  youve did something wrong.

 

so we need to go back  to   the question of what do people need more than being in bed.

as adults  we know the answer    money    either alot of it or a consistent wage.

 

oh god    moms gonna cut me off     omg!

if you pay him 10 a week alowance   and its deadline time    

get in quarters     start counting outloud   in a  stainless steel  salad bowl

1 quarters

2 quarters

3quarters

out in the hall from his room and see if he doesnt get out of bed  

after all its your money  its not his till he earns it 

 

play that music he hates      but if he gets up compliant    he can change it

only in the bath room

 

 

keep dropping in the quarters  if his room isnt clean  or his homework isnt where you can see it.

if he doesnt get up in time for break fest dont let him have it    . generic poptarts

 but no yelling    promp twice and thats it

then let the quarters start hitting the steel

 

with all that money start making plans about how to manage his friends

trips to a indoor water park  ,   not just gifts  but chances to  leverage his friends too  . pizza party      suggest one of his friends - a positive peer can come over

 in the morning  - thats right      a positive friend - on that he trusts    that doesnt through water on him or yell or scream  or nagg .

this is so fun

hoo hoo ha  aw ah  ha aaaa

make have an evil  laugh      BD

 

more than anything  good sleep   and a full bladder . stink , peer pressure , food , money . good tunes   should do the trick!.

the alternative is hunger  cold .no money  and  bedtime at dusk.

 

ommas39397.5239930556

My son is a lot younger, and I started this when he was about 3, so it might not work for you.  I tickle him awake.  It starts us both with a smile, which is always a good start to the day!    Then I go make his breakfast for him.  While he's eating, I put his school uniform in the dryer to get it warmed up for him (he goes to a Catholic School.)  During the cooler weather, he's always in a hurry to get his warm clothes on, so I'm not constantly yelling at him to get dressed.  We've actually got this down to a science, where it only takes 45 minutes from bed to walking out the door!  His doctor thinks this is absolutely astounding for an ADHD child! 

IMO it is teens, not ADHD. My teen is hard to wake, and if she is late, oh well, she is late. They get the idea after being in detention etc a few times. My oldest (13yrs not medicated) will sleep through a bomb going off.  A couple years ago I switched the shower to the mornings because it helps wake him up once I have him up.  My youngest (medicated)  once he is up he's up and running.