3 tips for getting a good night's rest with ADHD

Sleep-deprived adults with ADHD may be frustrated by their constant insomnia. These strategies can make it easier to get those much-needed eight hours of shut-eye.

• Adderall and Vyvanse prescriptions are common among those with ADHD. Although these medications can make it easier to remain during the day, they're often accompanied by several bothersome side effects.
• An inability to fall asleep at night may be the worst of these issues. Sufferers can find themselves wound-up when the stimulants fail to wear off at night.
• Tens of thousands of misguided college students have taken advantage of this stimulant side effect and used unprescribed ADHD medications as study aids.
• Those struggling with sleeplessness due to prescribed stimulants are advised to reduce their dosage.
• Take the medication earlier in the morning or consider switching to non-stimulant alternatives such as Strattera.

• Adults diagnosed with ADHD find it difficult to shut off their minds long enough to fall asleep.
• Often referred to as initiation insomnia, this problem affects a shocking 70 percent of adults with ADHD.
• Adopting a regular meditation regimen may help you learn how to clear your head of mental clutter. This can reduce the time required to fall asleep.
• Regular meditation can also have a therapeutic benefit for ADHD patients in other areas of their life.

• Distractions are every bit as problematic for ADHD in the bedroom as they are in the classroom or at work.
• Sleep-deprived adults with ADHD should keep electronics far away from the bedroom.
• Unwinding in bed with a book is okay, but watching television in bed will make it significantly more difficult to fall asleep.
• If you use your phone as an alarm clock, place it across the room from the bed, as opposed to on a nearby nightstand.
• Give yourself a minimum of half an hour for winding down. Shut off all screens and remove them from the bedroom before attempting to fall asleep.

Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) find it difficult to stay asleep at night. But in a calm, distraction-free bedroom environment, a good night's rest may be easier to achieve. It's important for those with ADHD to obtain a full eight hours of sleep whenever possible, as a night of tossing and turning can make symptoms even worse when daytime arrives.