ADD & sleep
Question:
it if anyone has any good suggestions!
one thing that works for me is taking one of my favorite CD’s and useing the repeat on it i repeat my favorite song on the CD over and over and i fall a sleep very quickly
Response:
it if anyone has any good suggestions! one thing that works for me is taking one of my favorite CD’s and useing the repeat on it i repeat my favorite song on the CD over and over and i fall a sleep very quickly
My son is 6 and was diagnosed with ADHD. I recently bought him the Star Wars episode 1 Soundtrack. He plays in at night when he is going to sleeping and he has been falling asleep quite a bit easier and earlier. I also find that the more active he is the better he sleeps. Sometimes we go for a long bike ride or walk or to the park and get home just at bed time. The days he has soccer he sleeps almost as soon as his head hits the pillow. Liz ICQ: 17610385 *** ASCII stupid question get a stupid ANSI ***
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my son had this problem on a average night he got up about 3 to 5 times and didnt fall asleep for about an hour or two. the docs perscribed "Paxil" and man after about 3 days what a huge difference. paxil is a seratonin increaser he wakes up happy and well rested now. he has been on it for over a month now and just gets nicer every morning. terrie dellinger
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I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason.
Awww yeah. That would be me, too, although the meds have helped me switch it around. I have to be extremely diligent about making sure I stick to a regular schedule, though, or I get all kinds of hinky. I inject a numbing agent when I latch on.
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I don’t know about adults, but my two sons(9 and 11) had night terrors when they were younger. Buny
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This cat does. I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason. Well actually, a possible good reason. Everything is quieter at night, less noise, less light, less "sensory overload", so I feel less stressed. I just cope better at night. Also, I am extremly sensitive to too much light – and sunlight actually makes me feel sick. So I guess that is a bit of a disorder, and may or =may not be related to ADD. What do others think?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
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But the thing is that even if they were meds that would help me "switch it around", I wouldn’t take the meds. I love my lifestyle, and wouldn’t change it. I know that "daywalkers" are heavily prejudiced against us "Nightmasters", but like all prejudices that others have, I prefer to let it be their problem and not mine. I refuse to adhere to other peoples’ "regular schedule". I keep my own. cheers, Jam
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason. Awww yeah. That would be me, too, although the meds have helped me switch it around. I have to be extremely diligent about making sure I stick to a regular schedule, though, or I get all kinds of hinky. I inject a numbing agent when I latch on.
Response:
This cat does. I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason. Well actually, a possible good reason. Everything is quieter at night, less noise, less light, less "sensory overload", so I feel less stressed. I just cope better at night. Also, I am extremly sensitive to too much light – and sunlight actually makes me feel sick. So I guess that is a bit of a disorder, and may or =may not be related to ADD. What do others think?
I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think? I have a daughter born at 8:00 am and she usually is much easier to get up and around than my son who was born around noon. He tends to be harder to get up and ready in the AM – just a theory. I don’t know of any research done on this though. I don’t know about the light sensitivity thing but from the time I was a teenager I always had to go to sleep with the radio on. The only problem with that was that I keep having to change the stations every song, eventually I would find something I liked (my mom used to get mad at me for always going to sleep with headphones on). Later – I found that I could buy LP’s (remember those?) and put them on my record player and I was usually able to go to sleep by the time the 2nd LP’s came on, that was nice because it would turn off when it was done. This was back in the days before sleep timers. Now I still have to go to sleep with the TV on every night. If I am lucky I will fall asleep before the TV goes off. If not then I have to keep resetting it over and over. Once I am asleep I sleep pretty well. It is very hard to go to sleep in a quiet room, because mind keeps going and going…
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I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think?
I was born 3-6 am (I wasn’t expected to live, so they didn’t record the time) and I’m as night-owlish as can be. Lee
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The Current Querie is… I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think?
I was born at 3:30 in the Afternoon…and I’m an EvenNight-Timer :D MADct
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I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think?
I was born at 3 in the morning…and I’m a morning person 
) — Ann Illegitimi non Carborundum annbal*at*thecia*dot*net
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Well, I was born at 5 a.m., but I’m definately a night person. Maybe this is a misconception, but I thought most ADDers were night owls. It this true? —Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.—
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I was born 8pm on a Saturday night to, according to my mother, the tune of Procul Harem’s Whiter Shade of Pale (which she found amusing) in the middle of winter in one of the most isolated capital cities on Earth. I wonder if that has anything to do with it, as you say, the time of day that one was born? Hmmm, interesting? As for sleeping with the radio or TV on, it’s interesting you brought that up. I have a friend who has been doing that for years…using the radio to accompany him in to la la land (sleep, not Los Angeles). However, he just found that is not necessarily a good thing, because it can disrupt the REM sleep patterns, and people can end up feeling rather unrested. I think he heard a doc talking about it, and how it can impair co-ordination and concentration during waking hours (as if us ADDers need any more impairment in this area). Cheers
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This cat does. I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason. Well actually, a possible good reason. Everything is quieter at night, less noise, less light, less "sensory overload", so I feel less stressed. I just cope better at night. Also, I am extremly sensitive to too much light – and sunlight actually makes me feel sick. So I guess that is a bit of a disorder, and may or =may not be related to ADD. What do others think? I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think? I have a daughter born at 8:00 am and she usually is much easier to get up and around than my son who was born around noon. He tends to be harder to get up and ready in the AM – just a theory. I don’t know of any research done on this though. I don’t know about the light sensitivity thing but from the time I was a teenager I always had to go to sleep with the radio on. The only problem with that was that I keep having to change the stations every song, eventually I would find something I liked (my mom used to get mad at me for always going to sleep with headphones on). Later – I found that I could buy LP’s (remember those?) and put them on my record player and I was usually able to go to sleep by the time the 2nd LP’s came on, that was nice because it would turn off when it was done. This was back in the days before sleep timers. Now I still have to go to sleep with the TV on every night. If I am lucky I will fall asleep before the TV goes off. If not then I have to keep resetting it over and over. Once I am asleep I sleep pretty well. It is very hard to go to sleep in a quiet room, because mind keeps going and going…
Response:
Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
They can. But it’s important to note that a bad enough sleep disorder could be the whole problem, and not a side effect. Sleep deprivation can mimic the effects of ADD. — Everything I needed to know in life I learned in Kindergarten. Like: Once you pull the pin on Mr. Hand Grenade, he is no longer your friend.
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We all have those air filter machines in our bedrooms–vey soothing, and keeps the dust and pollen count down, too. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – . It is very hard to go to sleep in a quiet room, because mind keeps going and going…
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I have sleep apnea, and am on a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine at night. I definitely notice a difference now that I’m on it, in my ability to function better during the day. If I don’t use the machine for some reason, I can’t concentrate as well the next day. I don’t have the hyperactive kind of ADD, though. That’s the only sleep disorder I have, don’t have trouble with insomnia. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
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Well, this certainly holds true for my 12.5 yr. old son. He was born at 5:20 a.m., can stay awake far into the night when I’m falling over from exhaustion, and won’t wake up in the morning even if an alarm clock is placed directly on his head. It is the bane of my existence, and I’m desperate to change it if anyone has any good suggestions!
Believe me, my mother tried everything, too. I was late for school almost every day. In junior high we detentions if we were late, and I was there almost every day!! The only thing that’s helped is age. I’ve gradually been able to get up in the morning easier, but not much. This is the method my mom found to be most useful for me. Try this: about 20 or 30 minutes before he needs to be up, open up the door to his room and turn on the hall light. Play some music in the other room, or just go about doing morning things, making a little extra noise if necessary (or desired.) After about 10 minutes of this, go into his room and say "time to get up,….(whatever his name is)," and, rather than expecting him to *leap* out of bed, be satisfied with a groan, or some sign of life (shake him a bit if you have to) then, go away. After another 10 min or so, go in again, and repeat the procedure, turn on the light if you want. It might take 3 or 4 of this process, and on the last time, you can "strongly" encourage him to get up. If you cook something yummy and he can smell it, or if he has a favorite cartoon in the morning you can remind him of, this might be enough to drag him out of bed. Watch out though, just because he speaks to you might not necessarly mean he’s awake! When he finally gets up, don’t expect him to be overly grateful or happy about the fact that you "woke him up." I know I have to try and avoid people for the first hour after I get up because I’m usually pretty grouchy. That’s the first thing I warn potential roomates about. (The next thing is my slovely habits.) My mom says she doesn’t remember me ever getting up early, even on christmas and my birthday!! My first year of college I had to drop an 8 o’clock class because I kept missing it, or coming late, or just falling asleep and missing most of the lecture. Next year, I’m going to have to take an 8 o’clock class, and I’m already worried. HOwever, I seem to be doing better this year, so we’ll see… Oh, something else I remembered. If your son is ADD and taking a stimulant, the first time you get any kind sign of consciousness from him, you might get him to take his first dose, or part of it. As the stimulant kicks in, it might make it easier for him to wake up. Just a thought….. Another thing that I’m sure you’ve already thought of is "is he really getting enough sleep?" Teenagers (or almost teenagers) tend to need more sleep than adults, even though they would never admit it. My problem, though, is falling asleep at night. However, having a bedtime ritual helps. Play on the computer a bit, feed the cat, feed the fish, get in bed and read until I start nodding off, then go to sleep. Without this ritual, I can literally toss and turn for an hour or two. I’m better off going to bed a bit later, but when I’m sleepy, than to lay there awake for a long time. That’s more than you asked for, but there it is anyway. Hope I was able to help! Corinne —Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.—
Response:
Well, this certainly holds true for my 12.5 yr. old son. He was born at 5:20 a.m., can stay awake far into the night when I’m falling over from exhaustion, and won’t wake up in the morning even if an alarm clock is placed directly on his head. It is the bane of my existence, and I’m desperate to change it if anyone has any good suggestions! Deb get a bag of marbles, put them in the freezer. in the mornings, open up the end of the bed covers, and roll the frozen marbles in. -hee hee hee- kim Warning: I have an attitude and I know how to use it.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This cat does. I am completely and utterly nocturnal. Sleep all day, awake all night – although for no good reason. Well actually, a possible good reason. Everything is quieter at night, less noise, less light, less "sensory overload", so I feel less stressed. I just cope better at night. Also, I am extremly sensitive to too much light – and sunlight actually makes me feel sick. So I guess that is a bit of a disorder, and may or =may not be related to ADD. What do others think? I was curious – do you know what time of day (or night) you were born? I have talked to alot of people and it seems that a lot of people that are "night people" were born later in the day or at night. What do you think? I have a daughter born at 8:00 am and she usually is much easier to get up and around than my son who was born around noon. He tends to be harder to get up and ready in the AM – just a theory. I don’t know of any research done on this though. I don’t know about the light sensitivity thing but from the time I was a teenager I always had to go to sleep with the radio on. The only problem with that was that I keep having to change the stations every song, eventually I would find something I liked (my mom used to get mad at me for always going to sleep with headphones on). Later – I found that I could buy LP’s (remember those?) and put them on my record player and I was usually able to go to sleep by the time the 2nd LP’s came on, that was nice because it would turn off when it was done. This was back in the days before sleep timers. Now I still have to go to sleep with the TV on every night. If I am lucky I will fall asleep before the TV goes off. If not then I have to keep resetting it over and over. Once I am asleep I sleep pretty well. It is very hard to go to sleep in a quiet room, because mind keeps going and going…
Hi, Interesting thread . . . It never occurred to me that my ADD and sleep patterns may be interconnected. I am most definately a night person. I work 6:30 PM to 7:00 AM, a shift that is not at all enjoyed by my non-ADD coworkers. I think it’s great (I get payed to sleep late, and as said, it’s a less chaotic, overstimulating environment). As a teen, I went to sleep with music playing. I, too, used LP records and a changer (still have LP records, too). Now, I have one of those background noise generators (they do waves, running water, heartbeats, and my favorite, crickets and frogs) that I run when I sleep. Pure silence just allows my mind to keep on spinning. Finally, does birth time make a difference? I was born at 1:08 AM. Still prefer to be awake at that time 
. Carl
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When I am having a hard time falling asleep, I get back up instead of trying to fight it. Then I drink a glass of warm milk (as doofy as it sounds, it works) and sit in the living room with one lamp on, reading. I usually grab one of the boring antique books I have as decoration on my mantle and open it to the middle to make it even more uninteresting and undecipherable. I find that I suddenly get very tired when I do this. I also have a big New York Times Sunday crossword omnibus that does the trick; although it’s not boring, it wears me out after awhile. As far as the alarm clock goes, I could seriously start an alarm clock resale business – I have purchased enough of them in the past five years to pay for an ivy league college education twice over, trying to find one annoying enough that I can’t incorporate the sound of it going off into whatever dream I’m having. I’ve tried putting them right next to my face but I become so deft with the snooze button that I push it while still asleep. I’ve tried the jangly awful wind-up kind but I forget to wind them. I even got a clock radio, set it to static, turned it all the way up and put it across the room so I couldn’t reach the snooze button — I might as well have set it to the lullabye station for all the good it did. I finally found one that gets gradually louder the longer it goes off. It stops between beeps long enough for you to almost fall back to sleep, like a snooze alarm, but unlike your standard clock you can only ignore it for so long. Eventually, it sounds like a Morse code air-raid warning is going off in your room. It RIPS you out of dreamland. By the time I get up to smash it, I realize that I’m out of bed and might as well get in the shower. It’s made by a German company called Kienzle and I highly recommend it to anyone with an alarm clock immunity. My mom found that ice cubes were an effective way to get me out of bed every morning. On the neck, or the belly — and on the really bad days, down the pants. She would also sometimes come into my room singing "Good morning to you, good morning to you…" You know, that insipid little kindergarden song? It use to piss me off so much that I’d get up just so she’d stop. Try doing whatever it is that irritates your son the most (if you have a 12 year old, you won’t have any trouble coming up with SEVERAL things that irritate him) and I bet he’ll be up before you know it. Kristen – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, this certainly holds true for my 12.5 yr. old son. He was born at 5:20 a.m., can stay awake far into the night when I’m falling over from exhaustion, and won’t wake up in the morning even if an alarm clock is placed directly on his head. It is the bane of my existence, and I’m desperate to change it if anyone has any good suggestions! Deb get a bag of marbles, put them in the freezer. in the mornings, open up the end of the bed covers, and roll the frozen marbles in. -hee hee hee- kim Warning: I have an attitude and I know how to use it.
– "Libety is the mother of order." -Alexander Berkman, "ABC of Anarchism" —Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.—
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I have never been able to sleep at night, if i do its for a couple of hours, then i get up, stay up for hours, go back to bed and when i was working i would get back to sleep and a short while later when the alarm went off i’d never hear it. i can’t tell you how many times i was late for work, i was the joke of the office. this was before i knew anything about add…now i just stay awake even if i’ve been awake all day. i like the night because i’m all to myself and i feel safe….nothing can get me….realism doesn’t come in at night. now i have found that the use of over the counter sleeping pills will help SOMETIMES… i do get VERY mad when i can’t sleep and i want to…sometimes and this may sound crazy but in order to shut my brain up, i will pick a place, usually france, picture myself in the plane and before i know it i’m in france haveing a ball…..this also helps keep the nightmares away, something i have had to deal with all my life…i know i’m rambling, please be kind and forgive me. i am also very tired ALL the time and it makes me nuts..sorta like being caught between a rock and a hard place….i can’t give you any answers but i did want you to know its not just you. take care of yourself. Linda McMillan i love you so much and for all times….. (quote from my grandson)
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Desyrel (antidepressant) did wonders for this. I don’t take it anymore but never had trouble with the wake-ups when I was on it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have never been able to sleep at night, if i do its for a couple of hours, then i get up, stay up for hours, go back to bed and when i was working i would get back to sleep and a short while later when the alarm went off i’d never hear it. i can’t tell you how many times i was late for work, i was the joke of the office. this was before i knew anything about add…now i just stay awake even if i’ve been awake all day. i like the night because i’m all to myself and i feel safe….nothing can get me….realism doesn’t come in at night. now i have found that the use of over the counter sleeping pills will help SOMETIMES… i do get VERY mad when i can’t sleep and i want to…sometimes and this may sound crazy but in order to shut my brain up, i will pick a place, usually france, picture myself in the plane and before i know it i’m in france haveing a ball…..this also helps keep the nightmares away, something i have had to deal with all my life…i know i’m rambling, please be kind and forgive me. i am also very tired ALL the time and it makes me nuts..sorta like being caught between a rock and a hard place….i can’t give you any answers but i did want you to know its not just you. take care of yourself. Linda McMillan i love you so much and for all times….. (quote from my grandson)
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Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
Response:
Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
i have heard alot about that..whether the sleep disorder is snoring <add+allergies or moving around in sleep,talking,sleep walking or can’t get up in morning,or can’t fall asleep..i have read alot about add and sleep disorders. Ever stop to think and then forget to start again?
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Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
I do.
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Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
Huh? What was that? I dozed off for a moment…. — Anna Hayward
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I sometimes do. Especially if I take a stimulant later in the day. The antidepressant I am on now (and have been for months and months) knocks me on my butt in 20 minutes every night. nessa – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Pardon me, a newbie, for asking a simple question. Do adults w/ADD suffer sleep disorders?
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One thing I noticed was the "racing thoughts" syndrome. I never even noticed this was abnormal, but I realized that when I would go to bed thoughts would race through my mind, as they did often during the day too. A river of thoughts and sensations flooding rhough my mind keeping me awake.
Amen, brother! SING it with me! Finally crawl into bed, exhausted from trying hold those thoughts into the proper corral all day, and they get to wander wherever they please. Often, they wander into extremely non-soporific areas. I have often had trouble sleeping, but it is likely from depression rather than ADD. Lee
