| Falling Asleep - An ADD Nightmare |  |
Like many "night people," I have a hard time waking up in the
morning, but I have an even harder time falling asleep at night.
When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she offered me a
very simple solution: take three hours to "wind down" before bed.
Don't do anything stimulating in the evening that will engage
your brain. Relax, unwind, and you'll find yourself falling
asleep much easier at night. Sounds simple, right? Not when you
have ADD!
People with ADD (also known as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder or ADHD) often find themselves chronically tired during
the day, but unable to sleep at night. This can be true for
adults and kids alike. Some of us seem to have our own internal
schedule - a body and mind that want to sleep all day and be
productive at night. Unfortunately, most of the world doesn't
work this way. Many people with ADD have a schedule to conform
to, and find themselves suffering with sleepless nights and
sluggish days.
But if we have a possible solution - don't do anything
stimulating three hours before bed - then why do we still have a
problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a relaxing evening
free from stimulation, I have a much easier time both falling
asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately, relaxing and winding
down in the evening is not as easy as it seems. Two main symptoms
of ADD are hyperactivity (which can be physical and/or mental)
and impulsiveness. These are two things that constantly tempt the
brain to get active. Additionally, once a task or project is
picked up, people with ADD have the potential to "hyperfocus" on
it and lose track of time. In order to avoid this and wind down,
I find it best to adhere to a routine. I have to schedule my
activities for the evening, and not allow myself to get caught up
in anything that I find engaging, like emailing, talking on the
phone, or even picking up an interesting book.
When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine, whether
it is for yourself or your child, identify the one or two things
that usually provide the most stimulation and eliminate them from
the pre-bedtime hours. In my own routine, I begin my wind down by
shutting off my computer right after dinner. This prevents me
from getting caught up in email, research, or any other number of
interesting things that the Internet has to offer.
The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to
schedule in "down time" for some serious relaxing. For me, this
can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a walk with my
dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair and breathing
deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.
And finally, set up a "signal" that will let your body know it's
time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do at night is
brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body and mind that the
day is now over and it is time to rest. You may choose to do some
light reading, tuck in the kids, or make your lunch for tomorrow
- what it is doesn't matter, as long as it's the same small task
repeated every night.
Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine. People
with ADD often work well with this kind of structure. You can
change the activities you plan for each night, as long as you
stick to the basics. Get your body and mind used to winding down
in the evenings, and you may just find yourself falling asleep
easier at night!
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Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who helps adults
learn how to manage their ADD and move forward in life. She
offers individual and group coaching, workshops, and
skill-building programs. Subscribe to Jennifer's free email
newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, by visiting
http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm.
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