Falling Asleep - An ADD Nightmare
Falling Asleep - An ADD Nightmare
By ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky
© Copyright 2003
Like many “night people,” I have a hard time waking up in
the morning, but I have an even harder time falling asleep
at night. When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she
offered me a very simple solution: take three hours to
"wind down" before bed. Don’t do anything stimulating in
the evening that will engage your brain. Relax, unwind, and
you’ll find yourself falling asleep much easier at night.
Sounds simple, right? Not when you have ADD!
People with ADD (also known as Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD) often find
themselves chronically tired during the day, but unable to
sleep at night. This can be true for adults and kids alike.
Some of us seem to have our own internal schedule – a body
and mind that want to sleep all day and be productive at
night. Unfortunately, most of the world doesn’t work this
way. Many people with ADD have a schedule to conform to, and
find themselves suffering with sleepless nights and sluggish
days.
But if we have a possible solution – don’t do anything
stimulating three hours before bed – then why do we still
have a problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a
relaxing evening free from stimulation, I have a much easier
time both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately,
relaxing and winding down in the evening is
not as easy as it seems. Two main symptoms of ADD are
hyperactivity (which can be physical and/or mental) and
impulsiveness. These are two things that constantly tempt
the brain to get active. Additionally, once a task or
project is picked up, people with ADD have the potential to
“hyperfocus” on it and lose track of time. In order to avoid
this and wind down, I find it best to adhere to a routine. I
have to schedule my activities for the evening, and not
allow myself to get caught up in anything that I find
engaging, like emailing, talking on the phone, or even
picking up an interesting book.
When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine,
whether it is for yourself or your child, identify the one
or two things that usually provide the most stimulation and
eliminate them from the pre-bedtime hours. In my own
routine, I begin my wind down by shutting off my computer
right after dinner. This prevents me from getting caught up
in email, research, or any other number of interesting
things that the Internet has to offer.
The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to
schedule in “down time” for some serious relaxing. For me,
this can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a
walk with my dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair
and breathing deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.
And finally, set up a “signal” that will let your body know
it’s time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do
at night is brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body and
mind that the day is now over and it is time to rest. You
may choose to do some light reading, tuck in the kids, or
make your lunch for tomorrow – what it is doesn’t matter, as
long as it’s the same small task repeated every night.
Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine.
People with ADD often work well with this kind of structure.
You can change the activities you plan for each night, as
long as you stick to the basics. Get your body and mind used
to winding down in the evenings, and you may just find
yourself falling asleep easier at night!
About the Author
Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Coach who
helps clients find peace through ADD management. She offers private and group coaching, skills groups, workshops, and a free e-Newsletter.
For more information, visit
www.ADDmanagement.com.
Written by:
ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky
ADHD raises teens' accident risk
Teenage drivers afflicted with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder face an even greater risk of car accidents, already the leading cause of death ...
Brain Structural Changes Occur in Children with ADHD
Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have changes in caudate and anterior cingulate cortex volumes that are influenced by medication treatment history, according to a report in the ...Comment
Patch new option for treating ADHD
WASHINGTON, DC, United States -- Medication for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can now be delivered through a patch,
Yoga for Attention Deficit Disorder?
Apart from a sizeable number of pharmacological treatments coupled with psychological and family therapies, an enormous number of unorthodox treatments have been tried for attention deficit disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADD/ADHD). One of the best reviews was published...
Some ADHD Drugs Boost Driving Skills
Teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are two- to four-times more likely to be involved in car collisions than other drivers.
Patch new option for treating ADHD
Medication for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can now be delivered through a patch, researchers reported Friday. The ...
ADHD used to be known as attention deficit disorder, or ADD. In 1994, it was renamed ADHD and broken down into three subtypes
What Are the Symptoms? ADHD used to be known as attention deficit disorder, or ADD. In 1994, it was renamed ADHD and broken down into three subtypes, each with its own pattern of behaviors: ...
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder As more and more information made available on various resources like newspapers, magazines, books and Internet websites about ADD/ADHD, adults began to realize themselves. At first, the information was written for children, and parents started to realize that [...]