Hi Erin:

Welcome to the ADDitude forums! I hope some other folks will get back to you with personal experience with Clonidine - I haven't used it, but I did want to recommend one of ADDitude's best articles about ADHD and sleep: ADHD Sleep Advice -- End Bedtime Battles! The last page features some treatment recommendations, including Clonidine. And lots of readers have responded with their experiences...

I hope this helps!

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Hey ya Erin,

First off, I take a stimulant and an antidepressant, plus a sleep drug most nights. I can't speak to the Clonidine, but Trazodone is an option if you can't fall asleep or stay asleep through the night. (it's recommended in the linked article above this post). It's an antidepressant that is commonly prescribed off-label for insomnia, and it can be ideal for people in situations similar to yours, i.e. used in conjunction with an anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication. If you think your current antidepressant is causing the problem, can you switch? You shouldn't have to experience any unpleasant side effects when you're on the right treatment plan.

On nights when your mind just can't wind down for sleep, despite your best intentions... (because you ARE practicing good sleep hygiene, right!???), there's also Clonazepam (klonopin wafers; not to be confused with the Clonidine), which helps with the anxious, nonstop thoughts... Clonazepam is another med that's sometimes prescribed off label as a sleep sedative.

I've taken Trazodone for a few months now, and haven't had any major issues with it (there's not the considerable risk of dependency, like there can be with Ambien or other sleep aids).

I took Restoril (prescribed short term only for people with severe insomnia), but stopped after a couple days, because I was getting frightening side effects. Hallucinating, numbness all over. Anyway, sorry for rambling about my sleep sufferings. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best. Unlike you, I was a pretty easy sleeper up until a few years ago, but I can certainly empathize with how horrible and debilitating it feels. There were days when I dreaded night time because I knew I would be suffering and whimpering all through the night, wide awake till 6 am, then sleep for one hour, and then "wake up" but be completely unable to function that next day.

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Hi Erin - I am a parent of a 9 year old diagnosed with ADHD/ODD. She has been on stimulant meds for 5 years now. She has never been a good sleeper (colicky infant, repeat awakenings, scared of the dark, etc). She has been on Clonidine now for about 2 years. I have definitely seen an improvement in sleep latency (getting to sleep), but she still wakes up about 1-2 nights/week and doesn't fall back asleep ALL NIGHT. Her insomnia is worrying me. She likes to wake up the rest of the family, or will go eat ice cream cones, sugar, etc. to her heart's content in the middle of the night. I have provided her a room to go watch movies (quietly) if she can't get back to sleep. She uses it sparingly, but claims she's starving in the middle of the night and needs to eat. Back to the Clonidine -- I feel it really does do a good job in getting her to sleep (tried Melatonin, no luck there), just not being able to keep her asleep. I really don't want to put her on a sleep aide at this point. She takes 30mg FocalinXR in the morning, 30XR in the afternoon, and Clonidine and Celexa (for anxiety) at night. If you or anyone else has any ideas for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I hope you find a solution to your insomnia soon....... From, A mom who really needs her sleep.......

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I have an 8yr old that was prescribed Clonidine and it gave him wicked nightmares. We are talking screaming, shaking can't get back to sleep for 3 hour nightmares. He had the same experience with the herbal remedy suggested (though the name is escaping me at the moment).

So, for him, we just try to practice good sleep hygiene. He goes to bed a little later than I would like, but he listens to his MP3 to fall asleep and this seems to make a big enough difference.

Good luck!

Alana Author, Domestically Challenged

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