Does anyone here have ADHD with insomnia? I have never and I mean NEVER been a very good sleeper. The Metadate CD probably does not help much with sleep. Anyway, I have tried everything....I don't want to be on sleeping pills forever, but I have learned I need the ritalin to function normally. Anyone else in this situation? I feel very tired of the sleepless nights!!! Is it just me or is anyone else overwhelmed with ADHD and motherhood also?

Ok...I don't know about the 'motherhood' issue, but I've always been an insomniac for as long as I can remember.

I only require 3-4 hours of sleep at the most nightly, and have been known to not even sleep soundly through those. But like I said, I've been doing that my entire life, and I realize that's not the 'norm'.

The only depression I exprience from all of this, is not from lack of sleep, ironically, but the thought of how it might affect someone else...if I ever decide to get remarried again....because I usually wake up and 'do' something, like read....and I couldn't bear the thought of waking up someone, just because I don't require that much sleep, even if I leave the room quietly...

Oh well..

Anyways, I'm sorry you're going through a hard time, Bolenka. I realize it has to be difficult. I'm not insensitive that I don't understand that insomnia doesn't drive other people bonkers...


Nova

Does anyone here have ADHD with insomnia? I have never and I mean NEVER been a very good sleeper. The Metadate CD probably does not help much with sleep. Anyway, I have tried everything....I don't want to be on sleeping pills forever, but I have learned I need the ritalin to function normally. Anyone else in this situation? I feel very tired of the sleepless nights!!! Is it just me or is anyone else overwhelmed with ADHD and motherhood also?You're definately not alone in this! Motherhood and ADHD can feel very overwhelming -- lack of sleep only complicates the situation. I managed my ADHD pretty well until I had kids. Lack of sleep really messes me up too. I've been on 5-HTP and it's been improving my sleep -- both amount and quality, until last night when I tossed and turned all night:( . Of course, I'm really anxious at the moment -- I don't know if it's just PMS, combo of Concerta, Estroven, and 5-HTP, life circumstances, or all of the above. I know that exercise usuallyhelps me sleep, so I'm going to summon up a little self discipline today and start exercising again, 'cause I really need my sleep and to work some of this anxiety out of my system. I hear you though -- take care!

Scattered

Yeah, I would try 5HTP before you go to bed.

ADHD + motherhood + too much to think about + snoring husband = no sleep. Amen.

I don't remember a time in my life when I haven't had trouble getting to sleep at night. My husband works nights and I have trouble making myself get into an empty bed, but the I still have to get the kids up, dressed, and delivered to school. I don't get enough sleep and the sleep I get is at odd hours. It's not helping my ability to function.

I have been had insomnia off and on ever since I can remember. It's gotten better the past 2 years, but I'd go a week with only sleeping an hour or 2 here and there.

My mom has told me that as an infant I didn't sleep long either. When I was 2 I stopped taking naps and I guess I often told her that I didn't require as much sleep as my sister.

For insomnia now, I take melatonin as needed. When it's been a few days and Melatonin isn't working - or I just can't get back on track with my sleeping I take Ambien.

Melatonin is nice - it's a natural sleep aid. I prefer that because I know sleep aids can be habit forming, but some nights I don't have too many choices if I want to function at work

Is your problem getting to sleep (primary insomnia), or staying asleep (maintenance insomnia)?

Loads of ADDers have sleep disorders such as Restless Legs (or Periodic Limb Movements in sleep), or sleep apnea, etc.

For my Restless Legs, my ADD Doctor wants to get my _Serum Ferritin_ levels up to '50', or higher. (It was 18. My Family Doctor said this was "okay", but the Sleep Specialist strongly disagrees.)

Ask your ADD Doctor about "restless legs" and ask if you can have a "Serum Ferritin" test. (NOT THE SAME AS a 'Hemoglobin' level !!)

Emma

why does the sleep specialist disagree? doesn't think it helps? or elevating ferritin to that level could be harmful?

'Serum ferritin levels below 12 ug/l are highly specific for iron deficiency and denote complete exhaustion of iron stores in adults (Addison et al, 1972; Jacobs et al, 1972). Cook et al (1974) selected a ferritin concentration below 12 ug/l as diagnostic for iron deficiency after a comprehensive population survey in the USA. The observed central 95% interval of SF in the iron replete sample was 12-302 ug/l. This cut-off value has been widely employed. In children, a cut-off value of 10 ug/l has been suggested (Dallman et al, 1980)'

seems you are below the level of minimum accepted.

I have had problems with sleep all my life. When I started AdderallXR four months ago, my sleep actually improved. Now I am back to the same pattern as before, where I take two benadryl before bed, fall asleep, and wake up about four hours later and pretty much lay there until it is time to get up. I used to get mad, now I am just trying to figure out a way to use this awake time to my advantage somehow. I don't want to wake the rest of the house either.

I have always been a poor sleeper-- I never really took much notice of any twitching while I was trying to sleep until now----does anyone else have this issue? There have been a few times where my whole leg/body twiches, causing me to litterally "jump" up in the air. But usually, I've noticed that while I'm trying to sleep (and possibly when I am asleep?) a finger might twitch ever so slightly.....who knew that this could cause insomnia???

anyone else have this issue? Why is it related to add??? And does it have a solution? Would I just bring this up to my psych? or regular doc?

thnx

ADHD + motherhood + too much to think about + snoring husband = no sleep. Amen.

yep, I do believe that sums it up perfectly :D

I've had trouble sleeping for several years. I thought it was all tied to Lucy Lew's recipe for exhaustion (who WOULDN'T be tired with all that?) I'm typically borderline anemic, too. Then I saw one doctor who asked me how long I'd been feeling so exhausted. "Hmmm, how old is my youngest child ... about 10 years, I guess." Then she said she thought I'd developed a pattern in which my body never really got into the deep sleep stage, even when I did sleep through the night. (The mother's curse, perhaps? Always half listening for a child in need?)

Anyway, that really made sense to me. She gave me a sleeping pill prescription for Sonata (I think) and it helped. Then I "fired" her, because during that same appointment, she had been unbelievably rude (and it was only the 2nd time I'd seen her). Screw that, I thought.

Since then, I've been on Trazadone, from another doctor. I found I could split it into halves or even fourths and still get the desired results, and also that after I retrained my body to go into a deeper sleep, I didn't need the Rx every night. So one Rx with one refill lasted about 6 months. Best part? I could finally sleep through my husband's snoring -- after spending 10 years with earplugs that I'd have to wake up enough to adjust several times a night (and they didn't block the buzz saw, anyway!)

Now I'm out of the Rx and starting to feel like I need it again. (And the other ADDers in my family of 5 have occasionally "borrowed" this sleep aid -- so I'm guessing since we ALL seem to be insomniacs to a certain extent, with or without the ADD meds, mind you -- it's probably tied to ADD. At least for us.)

Anyway, Bolenka, I feel your pain. I can do all-nighters for work on a fairly regular basis (I'm a writer), but ultimately, I crash and burn and then I'm a basket case -- the ADD, depression, irritability all increases tenfold.

You might want to try the Sonata. Initially I was told it was not harmful and I could take it every night for the rest of my life with no ill effects. (But then, that was the beotch doc -- smart, I think, but no people skills whatsoever.)

Now, how come I can never write a short post...?

I have a nine year old and a three year old, and ADHD ith insomnia.....I can feel your pain. If you need some sympathy, you have it from me. I never really sleep that great, but the sleepless nights come in spurts. If I don't sleep tonigh it will about 76 hours since I've slept...and I've already reached diminished capacity. Most likely I will be awake if anyone wants to talk....but if anyone sees me on here late (cst)...make me get off

Bolenka I hope you have insomnia relief soon...it's the pits

Bolenka
-with a 16 months old and a 3 months old sleep is never enough. My problem is that I find hard to fall asleep- thoughts running to my mind get me distracted from the falling asleep process, and on the other side I need a lot a sleep to consider myself rested. SO it is really hard to wake up when the kids wake up and take care of them in the morning. DH says melatonin helps-it is a natural thing, but I did not try it yet. Linden tea helps a lot too, i used it in my home country when I was stressed and slept bad....

As for motherhood and ADHD - the birth of my second baby sent me into deep depression. I felt overwhelmed by the requirments of motherhood (i love my kids and want to be the best mom) and my anxiety and stress levels are stil so high. Also a baby it is not stimulant enough for me to help me cope with my ad/hd, but both babies do need a lot of my time-so I do not have much time for something else -so, compared with my life before the babies- older child, homework-leaning new things with him, full time job, it is unfortunatelly making me feel low....so I had to start medication. I started Adderal on monday and even the 10 mg helps a little. Also I started to learn to be less of an worry wart and let the pressure go at times....

good luck to you,
anamari

Metadate CD-my son complains that it is hard for him to sleep on it sometimes. But somehow he is managing to get enough sleep for him to cope with every day- I send him to bed at 9 and he falls asleep by 11-12, wakes up by 7-7.30. It seems that 7-8 hours of sleep are enough for him.

For most of my life the problem has always been "getting to sleep". I remember in my teenage years laying in bed for 5-6 hours trying to go to sleep and could never do it without waiting half the night. Finally my parents let me have a t.v. in my room and that helped me to put my mind on something else, and drift off after an hour or two.
I still sleep with a t.v. in my room to this day. I'm usually up until 1am, and then I can go to bed and pass out pretty quickly because I'm just pure exhausted.

Suddenly though, over the past 6 months or so, I'm starting to have problems staying asleep as well.:eyebrow: .

Yes, motherhood I think compounds everything.

Thanks for all of your posts. These genes really stink. Keep telling your stories. I really like to hear them.

I can relate.....
I have always had sleeping trouble. Even as a child in preschool I could never take naps with the rest of the kids.

No matter how little of sleep I have had the night before, I cannot fall asleep until its almost like passing out.

On top of all this I am certain I have the sleep apnea. No matter how much sleep I get I am always exhausted.

I am always tired... making me pretty miserable.

I've had trouble sleeping all my life. Literally, from the very beginning, all through childhood and beyond. It's highly frustrating. I only got 3.5hrs last night, for example. My problem is mainly getting to sleep but I've had more frequent bouts of waking up up again now as well. That's what happened this morning.
I'm working on my sleep hygiene but it's slow going.
I have a prescription for Restoril which I've just started taking pretty much every night. I tried and tried to just use it occasionally only to find myself pondering the pill at 4am and wishing I'd just taken the darn thing. I surrender.
Ambien leaves me groggy and often doesn't work. If not, it makes me sick. CR is at least as bad but no sickness. Lunesta is a crock of... for me. Not a single inkling of a flutter of sleep. :P Xanax works but leaves me groggy and is really only an option in emergencies, extreme cases and when I have nothing to do the next day.
Melatonin never worked for me. Valerian is helpful occasionally to varying degrees.

It's a neverending battle 'round here. I don't know any different though.

Hi,
I've had trouble falling asleep since I can remember too. Never napped when the rest of the kids did in preschool either. When my kids were babies and I was finally falling asleep...they decided they wanted to be awake for a few lol. What a nightmare! Here it is 2:42 am and I'm wide awake, and I need to be at the hospital with my dad bright and early tomorrow :((. I've tried things like Melatonin...never worked for me. I also need to read or watch t.v. or do something to fall asleep...my husband is the exact opposite ...so doesn't make for an ideal situation. Once asleep, I usually had no trouble sleeping like a rock but still need lots of hours to feel really rested....enter middle-age and night sweats... ugh, it only gets worse lol.