Helping your ADHD child fall asleep

Have you been struggling with trying to get your ADHD child to sleep at night? Or does your child seem super tired the next morning and complains about not getting enough sleep? Here are a few tips for helping them fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night:

  • If your child is on any medication, it could be a side effect of their medication(s). Trouble sleeping is a common side effect of ADHD medications that many children and adults experience. It could benefit you and your child to talk to the prescriber about modifying certain dosages, the time the child takes the medicine or medicine in general to help with sleep. Some ADHD medications are stimulants, which can affect their energy levels. You can ask your doctor about possibly changing to a medication that is a non-stimulant. Your doctor will help navigate you in these decisions.
  • Nutrition plays a big role in how easy it is for your child to fall asleep. Some foods may cause your child to have dietary or digestion issues that may be keeping them awake at night. Stay away from any foods that contain caffeine or sugar at least 4 hours before bed. Try to stick to a more well-rounded healthy diet for your child. Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and amino acids may contribute to anxiety or sleep problems. Check with your pediatrician or prescriber to see what supplements would be appropriate (if any) for your child to take.
  • Try sticking to a routine! Work with your child to develop a nighttime routine that will help mentally prepare them for bed. Try to stay as consistent as possible with the bedtime routine. It may help to write down the routine with the help of your child. This allows them to visually see it. An hour prior to bedtime should be reserved for calming activities such as reading a book. Try to limit screen time before bed because the blue light from screens stimulates parts of the brain that may cause them to stay awake.
  • You may want to consider using white noise machines or curtains that will blackout some of the light coming in through the windows. White noise machines can help cancel out noise from outside or noise around the house that may be keeping your child awake. The goal is to create a soothing environment with minimal distractions from sleep for your child to optimize sleep.
  • Exercising every day or having some type of movement activity daily can help with sleep at night. Make sure that this is a few hours before bed. Sometimes exercising can give them more energy, so be careful as to when they get their physical activity in.
  • If you are finding that even with these suggestions your child is still struggling to sleep, they may benefit from sensory down time before bed. Sensory play means moving their hands or toes in repetitive patterns (think Playdoh or Kinetic sand). For many children this allows their brain to slow down and reduces anxious thinking that may be preventing sleeping.

Overall, people with ADHD often struggle to fall asleep. For many, their brains are the most active in the evening. This means, when medications may have worn off, they are battling their overactive minds, with the restlessness that comes with it. It is challenging for so many! If you have already consulted with your pediatrician or prescriber and still need additional support, reach out and let us know.

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