Sleep Tips for ADHD: Enhancing Rest and Boosting Performance

To get better sleep, you don't just need to get enough hours of rest. You also want quality slumber—the kind that helps restore your body and mind so they can keep performing at their best levels! My clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, or ADHD are surely headed towards difficulty when it comes time for mood, attention, and focus.

Sleep helps restore you, gives your metabolism a boost, and aids in the consolidation of memories!

Common Sleep Issues and Solutions for ADHD

1. Set a Regular Bedtime:

• Find the time that works best with your body and schedule and try to keep it the same every day, aiming for 7-9 hours.

2. Limit Screen Time:

• Avoid screens at least an hour before bed. Blue light from screens can block melatonin production, which is crucial for sleep.

3. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment:

• Use blackout curtains and keep your bedroom cool and dark to promote better sleep.

4. Establish a Routine:

• Develop a calming pre-sleep routine. Reading fiction before bed has been shown to decrease stress.

5. Manage Stress:

• Techniques like journaling, deep breathing exercises, and setting aside "worry time" during the day can help manage stress and improve sleep.

6. Exercise Regularly:

• Regular physical activity can help improve sleep quality, but avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime.

7. Watch Your Diet:

• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime. Instead, opt for light snacks and herbal teas.

8. Seek Professional Help:

• If sleep issues persist, consider consulting a sleep specialist to rule out conditions like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.

Understanding the Circadian Rhythm and ADHD

Our sleep quality is determined by our sleep-wake cycle. The circadian rhythm controls a lot—hunger, body temperature, melatonin, activity level, and more. It's a biological cycle that happens over 24 hours. The circadian rhythm is impacted by light, time, your schedule, and melatonin. It's a complex interplay of biological functions.

The Role of Light and Sleep

Light and dark control this cycle. The sun resets it each day, and melatonin is key to this cycle, cued by the light and the dark and crucial to sleep. This amazing cycle is hardwired into our body and triggered by the rotation of the earth. But not all light is the same. Tablets, phones, computers, and fluorescent lamps emit blue light and disrupt this cycle dramatically. These things aren't natural to our body. If you are trying to get enough sleep, this will disrupt it.

Even the invention of electricity has harmed this cycle. With the invention of electricity, a hormone called leptin was disrupted, which is related to hunger suppression at night. This phenomenon has been tied as one way human diseases such as diabetes can develop!

Resetting Your Clock with Light Manipulation

If you are off a schedule and need to be on a 9-5 schedule, you can reset your clock. Get a blackout curtain, begin getting up earlier, spend time in daylight, and refrain from electronics. Research shows that if you can commit to this for just three days, your body can begin to release melatonin earlier in the morning.

The Importance of REM and Slow-Wave Sleep

There are two kinds of sleep: slow-wave and REM. Slow-wave sleep restores the body and protects it from physical disease, while REM sleep helps you recover mentally. Too much screen time can disrupt and fragment your arousal throughout the night, causing brainwaves and heart waves to fluctuate, and stopping you from reaching refreshing sleep. Both slow-wave and REM are important to our mental and physical health.

ADHD Women's Sleep Challenges

Unfortunately, both REM and slow-wave sleep decrease with age. This is a double whammy for women. Women can suffer from sleep issues through perimenopause and menopause. These issues impact 39-47 percent of perimenopausal women and 35-60 percent of postmenopausal women. Perimenopause and menopause can span women's mid-30s to when they are 60. So, women can be impacted by sleep issues at higher rates than men.

Declining and fluctuating levels of hormones play a big role in getting enough sleep. Progesterone and estrogen are the two main hormones implicated. Progesterone can impact breathing and sometimes cause sleep apnea. Estrogen plays a role in the metabolism of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that affect our sleep-wake cycle. It can lower quality sleep by creating higher body temperatures (hot flashes) and cause depression and anxiety, which can also cause sleep disruption.

29 Tips for Better Sleep for ADHD women

1. Pick a regular bedtime.
2. Keep a consistent daily schedule.
3. Limit screen time before bed.
4. Use amber blocker glasses or screen goggles 
5. Avoid stressful activities before bed.
6. Don't exercise at night.
7. Get morning light exposure.
8. Block all light from your room.
9. Read a book before sleep.
10. Use apps like  f.luxt to block blue light.
11. Practice stress-reducing techniques.
12. Set aside worry time during the day.
13. Improve time management.
14. Address perfectionism.
15. Practice assertiveness skills.
16. Journal daily.
17. Practice breathing exercises.
18. Keep a gratitude journal.
19. Consider  CBT-I, or insomnia.
20. Avoid alcohol before bed.
21. Keep the bedroom cool.
22. Establish a morning routine for better sleep.
23. Meditate before bed.
24. Limit caffeine intake.
25. Relax with calming activities before bed.
26. Keep pets out of the bed.
27.  Get blackout light curtains.
28. Get sleep masks
29. Consult a sleep specialist if needed.

Because our sleep cycle is so important, it can impact every single area of our functioning. Every part of our body is interconnected in this cycle. Our sleep, our appetite, our mood, and our sex drive are all influenced by sleep. Taking good care of our stress levels, mind, and body is a good way to start influencing how we sleep. So is anything that creates predictability, stability, and regularity in our daily cycles.

References:

• Badali, M. (2014). How to use the power of your mind and body to reduce stress and sleep better. Visions: BC’s Mental Health and Substance Use Journal, 10, 21. Retrieved from NC Live
• Clear, J. (n.d.). James Clear on Sleep

This blog post addresses the unique sleep challenges faced by individuals with ADHD, offering practical tips and insights to improve sleep quality and overall health.

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen McClure: Neurodivergent-Affirming ADHD Therapist and Coach with 30 years experience in North Carolina and South Carolina Offering virtual therapy and coaching services across North Carolina, including Ashville, Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, Greenville, and more. Also serving major South Carolina cities such as Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, and more.