Hello,

I am new to joining the forum although I have been reading the posts for some time and have found them to be very informative and helpful in understanding ADHD.

I was diagnosed ADHD earlier this year with the inattentive type. I am currently taking Straterra 60mg 1X/day in the morning for the ADHD and then Lexapro at night for anxiety. Prior to medication I would be up late at night as I always seemed to be most alert after 8 or 9pm. I have been this way all of my life!! I could easily stay up until 2 or 3am and then sleep until at least 11am or later. No matter how much sleep I got I would still feel tired when I got up unless I had some type of stimulating activity to get up for and get going. After reading on this and other forums I have found that this is a typical pattern for ADHD, particularly the inattentive type.

Anyway, since I have begun Straterra I find it much easier to go to bed around 10 or 11pm and then get up at 6am or so which has been good for my work schedule. I have more energy in the morning now and I am much more pleasant to be around as before I was very irritable in the mornings. So, this has been good. However, and here is my question for all of you, I tend to be a very 'active' sleeper where I move around a lot at night. I know that I am getting 'quality' sleep and I am not concerned about a sleep disorder, but my fiance is very frustrated with me elbowing her, rolling into her, sitting up, etc at night as she is a very light sleeper. Usually I won't even remember doing any of this. Can anyone tell me if it is common for ADHDers to be very active sleepers, or is this likely unrelated? If you also have this problem, what have you found to prevent this or decrease the severity?

Thank you for any information

Well, even with meds I'm still a restless sleeper. Toss and turn. Wake up often throughout the night. Talk in my sleep. Walk in my sleep. Whether it has anything to do with my ADHD, I don't know. It would make sense because it's always worse when I'm "edgy" and overcharged.

My husband and I found the solution of a king-size bed and separate covers to be the best fix for us. No more pounding each other to smithereens in the middle of the night. :D

I've had a lot of sleep problems in the past, but primarily because of my anxiety disorder, not because of ADHD. I do all of the above (toss, turn, wake self up, have trouble getting back to sleep sometimes, stay up late because of anxiety, etc.) Hopefully, my Zoloft Rx will start helping that...

I have had insomnia ever since I can remember, and am also a very active sleeper. My M.D. used to suggest sleeping pills, but I would always refuse, b/c I really dislike taking medicine (I do take Adderall, and didn't want to take sleeping pills on top of it) (its just this hang-up I have) anyway, one day my psychiatrist suggested a magnesium supplement, he said that he had used it for a lot of his insomnia pts. and it had helped all of them. Its over counter (in this case quality does count so generic isn't ok) what I use is Mag-Tab SR, its a sustained release form, and it really does work. Although I would consult your M.D. first if you are taking other meds or have other medical conditions. If you think about it, it really does make sense physiologically as to why it works. Magnesium naturally occurs in our bodies, it acts as a muscle relaxant (It's what relaxes our heart muscle). Therefore in small doses it helps to relax many people so that they can sleep well. So hopefully that helps, but I'd check with your doc first.

I want to say, the more I read through these topics, the more I realize that I'm like most of you. I've always been a nightowl. If I had nothing I had to be up for, I would be nocturnal. I am tired when I get up just like you guys say. Also, I cannot just turn off the lights and hit the hay unless I'm absolutely exhausted. Since I was in high school, people have told me I groan and mumble in my sleep.