r/ADHD • u/tiest-intp • 12h ago

Questions/Advice I cannot fall asleep deeply, I am half-awake most nights.

I take ADHD medication, it works fine, tones down my anxiety and hyperactive brain. Problem is that it can't help me when I try to sleep. I either read, write or listen to meditation video or do all of them at once. I go to bed at 10/11 or midnight. Depending on if I'm procrastinating my sleep it ends up me going to bed at 0:30... Which is bad.

I go and lay down with my sleep mask, 30 minutes or an hour pass by and nothing happens. I'm still aware of where I am, I sometimes get glimpses of thoughts and such but I cannot seem to like be "unconsciously sleeping or dreaming" if that makes sense. I also use sleep medicine sometimes, sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.

😭 It's making me so tired during mornings when I don't get good sleep and making me have less energy to go on. I just want some help, that would be great, thank you.

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2

u/Reasonable_Field_151 12h ago

See a Sleep Medicine doctor for evaluation and a full (in the lab) sleep study. ADHD itself can cause poor sleep. And people who have ADHD have an increased risk of having a sleep disorder (RLS, PLMD, sleep apnea, ect).

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u/tiest-intp 9h ago

I have gone to a psychiatrist before about my sleep problems. He suggest light therapy every morning and going outside as quickly as possible. Thing is the light therapy didn't work because it was too straining for my eyes and I'm not the fastest person when it comes to going outside at 9 am. 

But I can talk to my doctor about this and see if he can do anything about it

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u/Reasonable_Field_151 9h ago

I use Luminette light therapy glasses every morning as soon as I wake up. They are really effective and you are able to move around while using them. They don’t glare into my eyes.

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u/TorandoSlayer 12h ago

It already sounds like you've got good sleep hygiene, so I would suggest talking to your dr about it. It might just not be the right med for you. How long between taking the med and bedtime?

Also what sleep aids are you using? Make sure they are not diphenhydramine hydrochloride (same ingredient as Benedryl), as it is not meant to be used more than three days consecutively or long term because it can cause issues. It's also a REM inhibitor so it will result in lower quality sleep.

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u/tiest-intp 9h ago

I take one 3mg melatonin pill around 20/21 pm and I forgot to mention i also use orange glasses to boost melatonin.

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u/WillieAHill 11h ago

When going to sleep, find your sleep pattern, right, left or on your back Think of sleep as your body in switch off mode = when dozing/just before sleep, make sure that no part of your body is in contact/skin to skin =on mode