How Did You Sleep Last Night?

I woke up feeling pretty good today! I was rested and relaxed, and had a productive day. However, today is the first day this week that I've woken up feeling good!

For days I was tossing and turning and waking up during the night, unable to fall asleep again. As a result, I spent several days this week feeling tired, groggy, and crabby. Not to mention lazy...

How did YOU sleep last night?

Adults with ADD often underestimate the importance of sleep. In actuality, getting proper sleep each night is essential to managing adult ADD.

Imagine you are a car, and the amount of sleep you get at night is the amount of gas that gets put in your tank. (Yes, I'm quite fond of this gas tank metaphor! I'm sure many of you have heard me use this metaphor in other contexts, namely my book, and that's because I get a lot of feedback about how it really makes things click for many of you.) Now back to our exercise...

If you go to bed and get proper rest through solid sleep, your gas tank gets filled. And as anyone who owns a car knows, cars always drive better on a full tank. I can't tell you why, but it's something we all know to be true.

If, on the other hand, you go to bed and don't sleep well or don't get enough sleep, then you start your day on half a tank. You're still able to drive, but you don't perform as well, and you hit empty a lot sooner in the day than you'd like to.

Think about it. When you haven't gotten a good night's sleep,

• Don't you find yourself running late throughout the day?
• Isn't it really difficult to pay attention at work?
• Doesn't it seem like more of a chore to eat healthy, exercise, and take care of yourself?
• Isn't it harder to motivate yourself to do those household chores, like dishes and laundry?
• Don't you find yourself snapping at people who might not deserve it?

Okay, Jen! You say. You've Made Your Case on Sleep. Now What?

If you frequently have trouble getting a good night's sleep, here are a few tips specifically geared towards adults with ADD:

1. Allow yourself adequate time to wind down before bed. Don't wake up your brain with something stimulating. This means turning off that computer(!), avoiding emotional conversations, and maybe even shutting off the TV.
2. Create a comfortable sleeping environment for yourself. This might include adjusting the temperature in your bedroom, switching to ultra-soft sheets, or investing in light-blocking curtains. Adults with ADD tend to be extremely sensitive, and it's amazing how much little things can make a difference when it comes to your sleeping environment.
3. If all else fails, see your doctor. There are medical options that you can explore with your doctor, such as taking medication or vitamin/herbal supplements, and testing for sleep disorders.

Here's to a good sleep tonight--for me and for you!

How do you deal with sleep problems? What challenges do you notice that result from not getting enough sleep? Please share your thoughts!

Comments

[Margaret]

I would love to know how people do this too. I work swing shift (3:30 to midnight) and it by the time I get out of work and get home (I usually do my grocery shopping after work) and then unwind it seems like it is often 4 a.m. or later before I get to bed. I then find myself sleeping until it is time to jump up and run to get ready for work, which is stressful and usually makes me late for work. I would love to know how to get myself on a better schedule where I can get to bed earlier. Its just hard because after a long day of work (especially if I have had no time to myself before work because of sleeping too late) I really want to take some "me time" and do things that I want to do.

I am really hoping others out there can advise me on this!

[Miriam]

I am an AD/HDer mother with an AD/HD son & a therapist/hypnotherapist/ADHD mentor. Glad you wrote about this crucial area. Although it is necessary to have a physical if you have sleep problems (you might have sleep apnea, for example, or other issues besides anxiety or poor "sleep hygiene" interfering with sleep), one of the problems with a strictly medical intervention is that they are likely to supply you with prescription sleep meds.

Since many AD/HDers are at risk for becoming dependent on meds, I suggest trying a recorded sleep trance as an aid, so you more easily move into sleep & retrain your body/mind. I used to trance my son nighly and it was very helpful to him (and to my sanity!). As a young adult, he now uses a CD IF he has difficulty, and he feels more CONTROL with this tool.

Several excellent hypnotic CD sets can be found on the website of Michael Yapko, PhD, a renowned clinician & author: click on left oval . If you wish to work on sleep exclusively, suggest "Sleeping Soundly". Sets including sleep trances are available for depression ["Focusing on Feeling Good"] & anxiety ["Calm Down: A Self-Help Program for Managing Anxiety" - not yet posted], which are often preceded by sleep disturbances.

[mitchel.fujiwara]

I used to have a terrible time sleeping. My yoga instructor suggested I try magnets to ease some pain I had in m feet as a result of diabetis. I started with magnetic insoles. The pain significantly was reduced. to make a long stor short I tried a bed cover, comforter and pillow with imbedded magnets and I realized that it made me fall asleep reasonably quick. Someone told me her ADD son made drastic improvements with the same type of sleep system. I use to have a hard time falling a sleep and also walking when I got up because of foot pain. Its hard for me to believe the pain is gone. My problem is that I still have a problem staying up late trying to do things on the computer or catching up with choirs.
I hate to sound like an advocate of magnets but they have a profound effect on me.

[Margaret]

Hmmmm. I once tried a magnet bed topper for back pain and it did help but I could never figure out if it was the magnet or the fact that it made my bed firmer. I have not heard of magnets embedded in comforters and pillows. Is that just for insomnia or is it to treat other symptoms as well?