ADHD and sleep disorder is important to be light shed on. We all never knew that the symptom of the hyperactivity and inattentiveness that keeps you unfocused but various researches point at the possibility of the link between ADHD and sleep disorder. Come along until the end of this insightful article to know more about the effects of your disorder upon your lifestyle.
What do researchers have to say?
One of the many research findings concludes that children who have ADHD have an increase in the rate of sleepiness during the daytime rather than those children who don't suffer from ADHD. In addition to it, research suggests that the breathing of 50 % of children during sleeping was disordered. But in the case of those children who did not suffer from ADHD, only 22% of them had disordered breathing during sleep. Have you experienced any of it before?
Doesn't your child with ADHD have the restless legs syndrome as well as the periodic leg movement syndrome? You should consult your doctor if he/she has it since researchers tell us that these syndromes are commonly seen in children who have ADHD.
Why do these small indications of sleep disorder matter to an individual suffering from ADHD?
You should get the answer to this question before you ignore it. The inability to sleep properly hurts their symptoms of ADHD. One study hints at the brilliant opportunity of terminating the children's suffering due to inattention and hyperactivity just through the treatment of sleep disorder.
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Do I have sleep disorders or ADHD?
Don't you think that the symptoms of the sleep disorder and that of the ADHD sleep issues are very similar? You must try to notice the similarity between a child with ADHD and another child who has not slept properly. Their activity level increases and the speed of doing so are likely very high. This is what the symptom of ADHD, hyperactivity is. You just linked both of them! Other similar research findings suggest that just like your findings suggest the link between sleep problems and the symptoms of hyperactivity and inattentiveness. You must know about everything about your ADHD, sleep disorder, and ADHD sleep solutions.
Therefore, it is not shocking when doctors tend to confuse the deprivation of sleep among the children with that of ADHD. Another common symptom of sleep disorder and ADHD that researchers have brought to our notice is a poor intellectual performance in various aspects of life. Individuals have been seen to be suffering from emotional problems when they have either ADHD or sleep disorders. This shows how important it is to let your doctor know about the details of a patient’s sleep schedule so that he/she can make a correct diagnosis. This will moreover save all your wasted money and resources for the wrong diagnosis as well as the treatment.
I don't have a sleep disorder because I am an adult with ADHD and not a kid!
You are lucky that your bubble of wrong belief has been broken down by the researchers right now. Studies point at the fact that sleep disorder is more prevalent in adults than in children. Now you can go get checked from your doctor about having a sleep disorder and if you have one, you will be getting better rather than being surrounded by difficulties to put yourself on charging! As there is a lot of activity during the daytime, it is possible that you get so tired that it worsens your ADHD symptoms and hence you are unable to sleep at night. And this is the vicious ADHD sleep cycle.
Studies convey to us the commonality of sleep disorder in the case of adults with ADHD. There may be some other factors in play like the effect of screen timing on sleep in ADHD patients. They are so common that there has been confusion between the diagnosis of one of the sleep disorders and ADHD. It is never too late to recheck your diagnosis of either of the two!
How do I solve the problem of when I don’t know its cause?
Indeed you are very correct and this is why we are keeping you informed about how your ADHD is not letting you sleep well! When you know these causes, you should make sure that your lifestyle is changed for the better after trying to cope with these symptoms of ADHD.
Lack of organization and time management
Patients of ADHD have a hard time keeping a schedule and are also unable to keep track of the time and therefore there are high chances of sleep irregularities. It is better to use sleep tracking apps and try to adhere to a schedule if you think this is the cause of your sleep problems.
Stimulants
If your treatment involves stimulant medications, it is advisable to let your doctor know about your sleep issues as these medications are more likely to make you awake. In addition to it, you should stop consuming other beverages that have caffeine such as tea, coffee, soda, and chocolate.
Other disorders
Individuals with ADHD may have other disorders at the same time such as substance use disorder, anxiety, and depression. These disorders can hinder their sleep. The sleep disorder in pandemic situations with ADHD patients can also be a cause of concern. You must let your doctor and therapist know about your sleep issues so that they can give you ADHD sleep medication considering all your conditions.
Another way of coping with sleep disorder is to do something that calms your mind, prevents watching screens during the evening, going to bed at the same time every night, and sleeping in a comfortable and darkroom. When you have a bedtime routine and you avoid consuming caffeine, napping for 4 hours before you sleep at night, there are higher chances of you getting a good night's sleep despite the disorder that you are suffering from.
In this way, it is right that ADHD and sleep disorders are linked to each other. Your sleep problems are not trivial! Do let your doctor know about them soon and get your ADHD sleep solutions.