ADHD & sleep are…complicated

Why you have to watch just one more episode

“I just need to go to bed earlier.”

I hear this all the time – from clients…people I know…me….

“If I could just go upstairs/close my laptop/put my phone away/stop playing Oblivion/turn off those loud, racing thoughts…THEN I would finally get enough sleep.”

But “just going to bed earlier”? That’s actually really hard to do. Especially when you have ADHD.

This isn’t really about willpower – it’s more about biology. Here’s a little of what we know from research:

The science of ADHD and sleep

ADHD and bad sleep are a bummer of a negative feedback loop:

• Bad sleep makes ADHD symptoms (like impulsivity and forgetfulness) worse.¹

• Meanwhile, people with ADHD have worse sleep than non-ADHDers.

  • On average, ADHDers take longer to fall asleep, wake up more often at night, and have lower quality sleep overall.²

  • One study found that two-thirds of ADHD adults have insomnia – compared to only one-third of non-ADHD adults.³

The most common sleep issue with ADHD is a “delayed sleep/wake cycle” – basically, your body wants to fall asleep late and wake up late.

• ADHDers are much more likely to have what researchers call an “evening chronotype,” with a later body clock than the average person.⁴

• About one-fourth of ADHDers have delayed sleep phase disorder, compared to less than 3% of the general population.⁵

This isn’t just about being “disciplined” enough to wake up early – there are biological reasons why ADHDers are night owls.

• People with ADHD produce melatonin (the sleepiness hormone) later, and melatonin takes longer to make them sleepy.⁶

• Some of the genes associated with ADHD are also involved in regulating our biological clocks.⁷

• People with ADHD tend to have smaller pineal glands⁸ (which produce melatonin) and more light sensitivity⁹ – both of which could affect their body clock.

How to get better sleep

• Work with your chronotype. Seriously, let go of any shame you have about not being part of the 5am club – and sleep as late as your schedule allows.

• Bright light at your wakeup time. Light exposure is the most powerful tool we have for training our biological clocks. In the morning, you want sunlight exposure if you can get it – open the blinds or go for a walk outside. Light therapy lamps might help too.

• Darkness a couple hours before bedtime. Tell your body it’s time for bed by dimming lights and using blackout curtains. In an ideal world, we’d all stop using screens an hour or two before bed – but if you’re like me, that hour of streaming before bed can be precious. I personally like to use a pair of amber lens glasses in the evenings (the evidence on these is limited, and they look kind of ridiculous…but I definitely get sleepy earlier when I wear them).

• Sleep hygiene basics. You want dark, quiet, and cool. Try a sleep eye mask and a white noise machine. Run a fan or open a window – and if you have A/C, set it to a cool temperature at night (some experts suggest 60-65 degrees Farenheit, though I personally do 68).

• Get some exercise. Daytime exercise – especially anything that raises your heart rate – can really improve sleep quality. Be sure to wrap up exercise at least a couple hours before bedtime, though.

• Try CBT-I. CBT for insomnia is very effective for a lot of people. You can try using a self-help book or app, or seek out a professional CBT-I provider.

• Talk to a doctor. If you’ve tried a few strategies and nothing seems to be helping, ask your doctor about diagnostic tests for sleep disorders. Remember, this is not merely a willpower issue – things like sleep apnea, insomnia, and delayed sleep phase disorder are real medical concerns.

As an ADHD coach, I help clients work with their brains – and release the shame we feel about not doing things the way we “should.”

The fact is – sleep times and wake-up times are morally neutral. There is nothing “lazy” about sleeping from 2am-10am.

Together, we get clear on what actually matters: when you need to be awake to care for your kids, show up for work, or do the things that matter to you — not the 5am routine that hyperproductivity culture says you “should” be doing.

From there, we start experimenting with sleep strategies that fit your life and move the needle toward more restful, sustainable nights.

**

How is sleep for you these days? Have you found anything that helps? Comment and let me know – I’d love to hear your experience.

Warmly,

Taylor

P.S. If you’re tired (literally or figuratively) of trying to figure this out on your own, coaching could be a great next step. You can reach out to learn more and join my waitlist.

1. Cohen, A., Asraf, K., Saveliev, I., Dan, O., & Haimov, I. (2021). The effects of sleep deprivation on the processing of emotional facial expressions in young adults with and without ADHD. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 14241. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93641-7

Cassoff, J., Wiebe, S. T., & Gruber, R. (2012). Sleep patterns and the risk for ADHD: a review. Nature and Science of Sleep, 4, 73–80. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S31269

2. Díaz-Román, A., Mitchell, R., & Cortese, S. (2018). Sleep in adults with ADHD: Systematic review and meta-analysis of subjective and objective studies. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 89, 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.014

3. Brevik, E. J., Lundervold, A. J., Halmøy, A., Posserud, M.-B., Instanes, J. T., Bjorvatn, B., & Haavik, J. (2017). Prevalence and clinical correlates of insomnia in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 136(2), 220–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12756

4. Becker, S. P., Luebbe, A. M., Kofler, M. J., Burns, G. L., & Jarrett, M. A. (2024). ADHD, chronotype, and circadian preference in a multi-site sample of college students. Journal of Sleep Research, 33(1), e13994. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13994

5. Bijlenga D, van der Heijden KB, Breuk M, van Someren EJ, Lie ME, Boonstra AM et al (2013) Associations between sleep characteristics, seasonal depressive symptoms, lifestyle, and adhd symptoms in adults. J Atten Disord 17:261–274

6. Coogan, A. N., & McGowan, N. M. (2017). A systematic review of circadian function, chronotype and chronotherapy in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 9(3), 129–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0214-5

7. Mogavero, F., Jager, A., & Glennon, J. C. (2018). Clock genes, ADHD and aggression. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 91, 51–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.002

8. Bumb, J. M., Mier, D., Noelte, I., Schredl, M., Kirsch, P., Hennig, O., Liebrich, L., Fenske, S., Alm, B., Sauer, C., Leweke, F. M., & Sobanski, E. (2016). Associations of pineal volume, chronotype and symptom severity in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and healthy controls. European Neuropsychopharmacology: The Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 26(7), 1119–1126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.03.016

9. Kooij, J. J. S., & Bijlenga, D. (2014). High prevalence of self-reported photophobia in adult ADHD. Frontiers in Neurology, 5, 256. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2014.00256