ADHD and Sleep Medication
People with ADHD struggle to sleep. When they finally get to sleep they are agitated and often awake during the night.
Actigraphy and polysomnography, both of which are both objective measures which show that children suffering from ADHD sleep later and have a lower sleep efficiency than their counterparts who are not. However, objective measures of sleeping improve with MPH treatment.
1. Medications to Calm Restlessness
ADHD can make it hard to rest well. Many people who suffer from ADHD have restless nights because they have a difficult time stopping the arousal that keeps them awake even when they're sleeping. This can lead a poor quality of sleep, and an inability wake up fully. This can make it difficult to concentrate and suffer from a bad day. The combination of ADHD and sleep problems can also increase the chance of developing depression, anxiety and other mood disorders.
ADHD medications can cause sleep disturbances, but they can also help improve their quality of sleep. Symptoms of depression or anxiety may contribute to difficulty getting or staying asleep, as can certain pain medications. A person with depression and ADHD may have more difficulty sleeping when they are taking antidepressants, including the nefazodone (Anxil) or mirtazapine (Remeron) or trazodone (Desyrel).
Many people suffering from ADHD have a range of sleep problems like difficulty getting to sleep, having trouble staying asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. These symptoms can be caused by a number of things, including medication or caffeine, as well as alcohol. Sleep deprivation can result in an unsatisfactory quality of life and an increased risk of heart disease, obesity and other health problems.
Sleep issues can be caused by medications used to treat hyperactivity ADHD particularly in children. However the sedative effects of these drugs could actually aid in the promotion of sleep among young children suffering from ADHD. In adults, a low dose of clonidine -between 0.05 to 0.1 mg -- has been proven to cause sedative effects and can aid in reducing insomnia. It is recommended that this be taken at night, one hour before going to bed.
The oral stimulants with long-acting effects, methylphenidate Osmotic Release and Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) are prescribed for insomnia in some ADHD patients. Both have a duration of effectiveness of up to 12 hours and are recommended in this patient population in doses ranging from 1 to 4 mg daily. Careful sub-typing of insomnia is recommended and sleep structure should be assessed with objective measures (polysomnography or actigraphy) and selfor parent-rated questionnaires as well as diaries.
2. Sleeping pills to help you fall asleep
People suffering from ADHD often have trouble falling asleep at the end of the night. They might lay in bed for a long time in a twirl or wake up at every noise or interruption. This can cause sleep deprivation, which could increase ADHD symptoms and lower mood. Studies have shown that before puberty, 10 to 15 percent of children who suffer from ADHD struggle to get to sleep. There are a variety of medications that can assist adults to fall asleep.
It is interesting to note that many of the stimulant medications prescribed for ADHD can also help with sleep issues. In one study children with ADHD who had a history of sleep problems reported improved sleep when they were taking methylphenidate prior to bedtime. Before you start any medication to treat insomnia, it's important that you discuss your sleeping issues with your physician. You might have an underlying condition that is co-existing such as depression or sleep apnea. These conditions can cause similar symptoms to ADHD.
In addition to a health checkup, you can also practice good sleep hygiene. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night, avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine Exercise regularly, and practice mindfulness or meditation techniques. Progressive muscle relaxation (in which you tighten and relax muscles one by one) and deep breathing exercises have been proven to aid in overcoming sleep problems.
A psychiatrist can prescribe an antidepressant like trazadone, or a benzodiazepine like temazepam to adults insomniacs who cannot improve on their own. These antidepressants have been shown to help with insomnia, and they are less likely to interact with other sleep medications than stimulant medications.
The medications that can aid in sleeping include a melatonin agonist, such as ramelteon, which is effective for both primary insomnia and comorbid insomnia in adults with ADHD. It is also effective for insomnia that is refractory in adults with ADHD who do not respond to other treatments, like treatment with behavioral therapy or antidepressants.
Moreover it is safe for use during pregnancy. If your physician recommends this treatment for you, they will be monitoring your blood sugar levels to ensure that there aren't any side effects. If they are, then your doctor will reduce the dosage to a level that's safe for you to take while breastfeeding or pregnant.
3. Medications to Help You Wake Up
When people with ADHD awaken their minds, they often make it difficult to get back to sleep. If they can't get back to sleep, the absence of restful sleep can cause them to feel tired and sluggish during the daytime. It can also affect their ability to learn to concentrate, pay attention and focus.
It's important to know that many stimulant drugs prescribed for ADHD symptoms can also help with sleep disorders. One study found that people with ADHD and preexisting sleep disorders were less disturbed during sleep when they began taking a low dose methylphenidate.
ADHD is treated using various stimulants, such as those that are quick-acting or extended-release. Most often, these medications are taken in the morning and last between six and eight hours. They can lessen the "ups anddowns" individuals encounter throughout the day. This can help improve the performance of their work and school and avoid them from having to take more medication later in the day or night.
Melatonin is also utilized by many people suffering from ADHD to help them sleep. Research has shown that melatonin may aid people in getting better sleep however it's crucial to to take it at the right time, usually about an hour before the time of bed. If not, it's unlikely to work.
Another option is to consider a benzodiazepines, which are powerful depressants that are extremely effective in helping people with ADHD fall asleep and stay asleep at night. This type of medication is addictive and should be used only when absolutely necessary.
There is an urgent need for further research into how best to address sleep issues in people with ADHD. It is essential to conduct large-scale cohort studies to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders and prescribed medications among people with ADHD, both during childhood and later in life. It is crucial to differentiate between the presence or absence of ADHD-related symptoms of sleep and a diagnosis of an individual sleeping disorder.
People who don't have ADHD have sleep issues too, and they may decide to self-medicate by drinking alcohol in the evening. Alcohol can make it even difficult to sleep, since it acts as an antidepressant.
4. Stay alert with these Medications
Many stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD also boost alertness. This is due to the way that these medications alter chemicals in your brain.
However this doesn't mean people with ADHD don't suffer from sleep issues. Many people with ADHD struggle to sleep. In my own practice, I've seen that more than 80 percent of people I see suffer from sleep disturbances. non prescription adhd medication can be up for hours at night, with their minds spinning around and their bodies tumbling. Sometimes, they wake up several times before falling asleep. When they wake up, they feel exhausted and drained from this unrestful sleep.
In some cases sleep disorders can be a direct manifestation of hyperactivity and nocturnal motility related to ADHD. In other instances they result of an insufficient amount of sleep and a difficulty stopping the arousal phase of their everyday functioning to sleep. It's been shown that treating the underlying sleep disorders improves insomnia and ADHD symptoms.
Certain stimulant medications may disrupt sleep for people with ADHD. However, they can also improve insomnia and other sleep issues by easing symptoms that hinder with falling asleep (Spruyt & Gozal 2011). In addition certain long-acting ADHD medications have an insufficient duration of effect which can lead to an increase of hyperactivity and behavioral issues in the evening, as concentrations of the drug decline (Cortese, et al. 2013a, b; Lecendreux and Cortese 2007).
Ask your doctor if a sleep test can be conducted to identify other conditions underlying your difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Then, your doctor can prescribe a drug to treat both the sleep disorder and the ADHD.
In the meantime, you could try to reduce the dose of stimulants before going to sleep by taking it in the morning rather than the afternoon or using lower doses or a other stimulants. This will help you stay alert throughout the day, and help you fall asleep at time of night. Take your medication exactly as prescribed to avoid any side effects.