Just recently started on meds for my ADD (Ritalin 20 mg. per day) and I am very tired from it! How can a stimulant do this? :faint: I can't tell much benefit otherwise except that I am not as fidgety.

I'm not sure but when i take a stimulent i can go to sleep, it seems to slow everything down so i'm more relaxed.

I don't know if it has this effect on everyone that has ad(h)d.

GOOD QUESTION!

Here's the "probable" answer. First only particular stimulants will do this for ADDers. Short acting ones like caffeine and nicotien are a separate issue. In the "long acting" class there are some three hundred known stimulants and only three of them work this way on ADD. I only remember Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and Amphetamines (ADDERALL). The left handed Isomer (could be the right I forget things) is shaped a good deal like dopamine, and because of this our brains can use it as a dopamine substitute.

Now, the parts of the brain that regulate attention and the like (the executive centers) also regulate sleep patterns. SO...... Meds can allow normal sleep pattern function to resume, and as a consequence if you are tired they will allow your brain and body to start the process of getting you off to sleep.

Once your sleep routines catch up you may well notice you only get tired at appropriate times.

Over 75% of adults with ADHD/ADD have "pattern sleep disturbance", which is the above mentioned problem with regulating sleep patterns. It's characterized by insomnia, frequent waking, and great difficulty waking.

Persons with ADD also sometimes suffer from what are called "Paradoxal med reactions". IE we respond to many meds differently than we're "Supposed" to. The name implies and opposite response and sometimes it is, but any inappropriate med reaction (outside of allergies) falls into this description as well. It's fairly common in children and pretty rare in adults, excepting adults with ADD in which it's much more common.

That is very helpful and what I suspected might be the cause. I am sleeping MUCH better at night. I still have trouble getting up in the morning some days but feel more rested when I wake until I take my medicine. I will keep taking it and see if it does indeed regulate everything. I definitely have had insomnia, wake up a lot and difficulty getting up for as long as I can remember until now. Great, that helps SO much!

I take my meds before bed too, and it usually helps, but stress can make me use up the adderall too fast or something so when I get stressed and sometimes apparently just because I still get these episodes and they still play havoc with the military.

I take my meds before bed too, and it usually helps, but stress can make me use up the adderall too fast or something so when I get stressed and sometimes apparently just because I still get these episodes and they still play havoc with the military.This is Ritalin LA and it is only supposed to last 6-8 hours so I guess I shouldn't take it at night should I? Then it wouldn't help the next day right?

Your doc might be willing to try you on a night time dose. you can google Adult ADD and Pattern sleep disturbance and it will provide some articles you could bring in. It never hurts to be your own advocate. Your doc will discuss the options with you on the basis of your specific case.

Typically they play with dosage until you have both effective symptom relief and the ability to nap on the meds, then they just add a night time dose at that level to your regimen. This doesn't work for everyone. Seems like nothing ever does. SIGH!

Dr. Dodson at he ADDA Conference said that he adds an extra dose of stimulent later in the day -- that helps avoid the rebound effect of coming off the stimulent and frequently improves sleep too. Like E-Boy said, perhaps your doctor would be willing to go with a couple of doses a day 6 - 8 hours definately isn't going to give you all day coverage even when taken in the morning.

I think E-boy is also right about the fact that if you're behind on your sleep to start with stimulent medication can help you shift into sleep mode. It doesn't do that when I'm not tired. It's funny, I can go to sleep at 9:30 or so , but if I try to go to sleep after 11:00 I have trouble. I couldn't figure it out until recently, I take two doses of Concerta a day and I think I can go to sleep before the second dose wears off, but have trouble if I miss that window.

Scattered

It's funny, I can go to sleep at 9:30 or so , but if I try to go to sleep after 11:00 I have trouble. I couldn't figure it out until recently, I take two doses of Concerta a day and I think I can go to sleep before the second dose wears off, but have trouble if I miss that window.

I do this too. If I go to sleep before my last Adderall completely wears off it is easier to fall to sleep and stay asleep.

When I fist started taking Ritalin years ago I started on 10mg and that dose did make me sleepy when I first started taking it, after my dose was bumped to 20 mg I found the medication no longer made me sleepy unless I was tired due to lack of sleep.

It made me sleepy at first too. It's mellowed out though now, and I feel like I'm on a normal energy/sleep pattern. I've only been on meds for about 6 wks, so it didn't take long, maybe 2-3 weeks for it to work out. I go to sleep way easier, and sleep way better then I ever have in my life. I also wake up feeling refreshed, which is something I've never felt before:p .
Strange how it all works though :)

Very interesting. Thanks so much for all the replies! I do feel like sometimes it makes me sleepy and sometimes not. I thought it was all in my mind but thankfully not. I have a sort of hectic schedule (work and school both full-time) so I don't always get enough sleep though I try to. I will give it a few weeks. In fact, my doctor wanted me to try this for 30 days and then come back to tell him how it was working. I will research before then. I agree about having to be your own advocate and do your own research for sure. Have done this quite a few times with great success.

Reporting back to say it is much better after a few weeks! I am taking it at @:00 in the afternoon so it will last through my evening studying and I feel much better ALL the time! Glad I stuck with it!

my mind races literally 25 thoughts per 30 seconds and if I shut that off with dexedrine I can go to bed at night and I don't move around so much either