Sleep and ADHD

11 Comments:

• Posted by bcurtisme - Mar 10 2008 @ 2:42 PM
  Sleep problems
  Try breaking down daily dose into 2 doses. Ex: instead of 40 mg daily, do 30 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. Also, my son (19 yrs) was prescribed Periactin to take at night. It helps him to sleep and increases his appetite a little since he is underweight and the Adderall decreases appetite. Good Luck
• Posted by paula - Mar 10 2008 @ 12:32 PM
  sleep and melatonin
  I had the pharmacist check - they do not encourage melatonin with the use of stimulants - but thought that Valerian Root would be fine - my son is 9
• Posted by jc - Mar 5 2008 @ 10:16 PM
  sleep and adhd
  i am a 41 year old teacher...wife and mother of 4 ... i have major sleep issues the doctor had to give me and rx for klonopin
• Posted by tjones - Mar 5 2008 @ 9:17 PM
  Sleep difficulty
  Our youngest (5 years old)was seen by a Behavioral Pediatrician about a year ago. Prior to that visit it was taking him almost 2 hours each night to fall asleep. The Dr. recommended Melatonin, and it has been amazing. I give it 30 minutes before bed, and by bed time he's yawning and saying he's sleepy. He now falls asleep within minutes. I have heard of people using stimulants before bed, and understand that works also. I just haven't wanted to give a 5 year old more stimulant doses at this point.
• Posted by mary - Mar 5 2008 @ 8:00 PM
  What about Straterra?
  I tried Ritalin, and Dexedrine both of which had me experiencing bad side effects so my doctor switched me on to Straterra. Straterra seems to be working well for me. I can focus better during the day and not feel like I am on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It is the only non-stimulant medication for people with AD/HD that I know of. Often timesI have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep at night. If I took Straterra at night would it help me sleep better? Or would it make it worse?
• Posted by flyrojack - Mar 5 2008 @ 7:30 PM
  trouble sleeping at night
  If you are looking for a more natural alternative try meletonin (sp?). You can find it with the vitamins. It is the only thing the FAA lets pilots take to re-set after trans-ocean flights. I get children's dose (cherry melts) from GNC. I have taken it myself both when working shift work & as pre-medipause hits.
• Posted by supertodd - Mar 5 2008 @ 7:16 PM
  sleep and adhd
  i thought i would never here this advise.i have known for some time it is only logical to use your stimulant drugs at nite, after all, dont they put the brakes on your brain? i realize some consciousness is needed about dosage and timing. i take half a dose a couple hours before bed, and, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
• Posted by Pamela Ambrose - Mar 5 2008 @ 5:17 PM
  Sleep & ADHD
  What is 5-htp? Where do you get it?
• Posted by HawaiiBrooke - Mar 5 2008 @ 5:06 PM
  Sleep & ADHD
  my son has had a very hard time sleeping since he was young, he's 12 now, we found that 5-htp helped him a lot. it just slows him down and allows him to relax. It is not a medication, it is a natural form of tryptophan and I've even taken it when I've had a hard time.
• Posted by Michele Sundstrom - Mar 5 2008 @ 3:48 PM
  Sleep & ADHD
  My 11 year old had SEVERE difficulties with sleep. Believe it or not, an evening dose of a stimulant DOES work (I guess it helps them order their thoughts), however I understand your hesitation to use more. Our doctor prescribed Trazadone (it lowers blood pressure). It has very few side effects & is NOT addictive. It worked very well. Also, we googled "guided imagery/meditation" and downloaded a few free files for his MP3 player. He listens to these at night and they REALLY help. Tip: he discovered that the files with music that continues on after the dialogue is completed left his mind to start wandering again. Good luck!
• Posted by Lori Moldenhauer - Mar 5 2008 @ 1:43 PM
  Sleep and ADHD
  I would have liked to see other information besides medication. Our doctor prescribed sleeping pills and then she has become dependent on them. I am looking for other relaxation techniques/nonmedicine ideas. Thank you.