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ADHD impacts getting to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up, here's how (1/
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1) Getting to sleep
The most common way that ADHD'ers struggle with sleep is with getting to sleep.
People with ADHD tend to describe themselves as nightowls and a fair amount of us say we're most productive in the evening or late evening.
This may actually be true (2/17)
The most common way that ADHD'ers struggle with sleep is with getting to sleep.
People with ADHD tend to describe themselves as nightowls and a fair amount of us say we're most productive in the evening or late evening.
This may actually be true (2/17)
Because of how ADHD'ers struggle with attention regulation, working throughout the day can be overwhelming or distracting.
Once the rest of the world goes to bed, many of the distractions we've been fighting all day also disappear (3/17)
Once the rest of the world goes to bed, many of the distractions we've been fighting all day also disappear (3/17)
Working long into the night can feel particularly attractive if we've had a hard time getting anything done earlier in the day. (4/17)
Perhaps this is why the idea of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination resonates with so many of us: https://twitter.com/daphnekylee/status/1277101831693275136
Perhaps this is why the idea of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination resonates with so many of us: https://twitter.com/daphnekylee/status/1277101831693275136
On top of this, if we happen to get in the groove and start hyperfocusing, there are fewer opportunities to be pulled out.
Instead, we can focus on the task at hand all night (whether it's work, or a wikipedia rabbit hole) and lose all sense of time (5/17)
Instead, we can focus on the task at hand all night (whether it's work, or a wikipedia rabbit hole) and lose all sense of time (5/17)
...not that we have a great sense of time in the first place.
This time agnosia (or time blindness) makes it hard to reliably feel the passage of time.
Without clear cues it's time for bed or that time has been passing at all, we can stay up way later than we should (6/17)
This time agnosia (or time blindness) makes it hard to reliably feel the passage of time.
Without clear cues it's time for bed or that time has been passing at all, we can stay up way later than we should (6/17)
To make matters even worse, a lot of people with ADHD have a weaker sense of their internal state than non-ADHD'ers.
This means that we may not realize we're tired until we're EXHAUSTED
...and if we're not tired, we shouldn't go to bed yet... right? (7/17)
This means that we may not realize we're tired until we're EXHAUSTED
...and if we're not tired, we shouldn't go to bed yet... right? (7/17)
Even if we do manage to get ourselves to bed though, we might find it hard to sleep because our mind just. won't. turn. off.
For some ADHD'ers, this rumination can be a coping mechanism for understimulation, something that's needed (to a degree) when we're trying to sleep (8/17)
For some ADHD'ers, this rumination can be a coping mechanism for understimulation, something that's needed (to a degree) when we're trying to sleep (8/17)
While even one of the above examples would make it harder for ADHD'ers to get to sleep, many of us actually experience multiple of them.
Combined these can make getting to sleep feel like a losing battle, and they contribute to high rates of insomnia among ADHD'ers (9/17)
Combined these can make getting to sleep feel like a losing battle, and they contribute to high rates of insomnia among ADHD'ers (9/17)
2) Staying asleep
Once we're asleep though, everything's better right? ...right?
Well, yeah, but if we wake up during the night ADHD'ers seem to be more likely to have trouble getting back to sleep (10/17)
Once we're asleep though, everything's better right? ...right?
Well, yeah, but if we wake up during the night ADHD'ers seem to be more likely to have trouble getting back to sleep (10/17)
Personally, I describe this as my mind turning on the second that I wake up and then not being able to turn it off.
This can lead to rumination and restlessness as we fight to get back to sleep again, and sometimes it just feels like the fight isn't worth the frustration (11/17)
This can lead to rumination and restlessness as we fight to get back to sleep again, and sometimes it just feels like the fight isn't worth the frustration (11/17)
Regardless, troubles getting back to sleep can have a large impact on how much sleep we actually get, as well as our overall sleep quality. (12/17)
3) Waking up
While I haven't seen a lot of research around people with ADHD and waking up, it is a theme that I've noticed in my clients.
ADHD'ers seem to have a lot more trouble getting up in the morning than non-ADHD'ers (13/17)
While I haven't seen a lot of research around people with ADHD and waking up, it is a theme that I've noticed in my clients.
ADHD'ers seem to have a lot more trouble getting up in the morning than non-ADHD'ers (13/17)
There may be a biological cause to it, but I haven't seen it identified just yet.
Outside of the possibility of a biological cause, there may be some other reasons ADHD'ers struggle getting up (14/17)
Outside of the possibility of a biological cause, there may be some other reasons ADHD'ers struggle getting up (14/17)
For example, task initiation (a core executive function) is harder for ADHD'ers than non-ADHD'ers.
This is especially true if the reward of starting the task (getting up) is a longer-term reward than not starting the task (staying in bed) (15/17)
This is especially true if the reward of starting the task (getting up) is a longer-term reward than not starting the task (staying in bed) (15/17)
Without additional pressure to support getting up, such as from routine, our difficulties starting tasks can end up with us staying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, for much longer than we should. (16/17)
This lengthened getting up period then contributes yet again to difficulty getting to sleep the next night, starting the cycle all over again (17/17)
