ADHD & The Vast Power of Sleep
How I Went From 90 Minutes to Fall Asleep to less than 20 - and Staying Asleep!
Let's start by clearing up a common misconception: not everyone with ADHD is a 'night owl,' even though I see that claim a lot.
Yes, research shows that many people with ADHD have delayed circadian rhythms, their internal clocks run later, making them feel alert in the evening and producing melatonin later at night. Studies also show that delayed sleep phase syndrome is more common in the ADHD population than in the general population.
But here's what the headlines miss: ADHD doesn't just shift your sleep timing, it affects your brain's ability to regulate arousal states. That's the real issue. It's not just about being a night owl; it's about difficulty shifting from 'on' to 'off,' from focus to rest, from doing to sleeping.
This explains why some people with ADHD:
• Feel sleepy early but can't actually fall asleep due to racing thoughts
• Wake up super early and struggle to stay asleep
• Experience wildly variable sleep patterns from night to night
• Get 'second winds' at night when they should be winding down
• Feel 'tired but wired', exhausted but unable to switch off
Sound familiar? Your ADHD brain needs different support to make the transition into sleep.
My Sleep Transformation
Before I understood my ADHD, sleep was a nightmare. I'd lie in bed for 90+ minutes, mind racing, frustrated, watching the clock tick towards midnight, then 1am, then 2am. The next day I'd be exhausted, irritable, and even more symptomatic.
Once I learned about how ADHD affects arousal regulation and sleep architecture, I experimented with different approaches. What I'm sharing here is what worked for me, reducing my average sleep latency from 90 minutes to closer to 20.
Important caveat: These strategies helped me significantly, but I'm still working on them. Some nights are better than others. That's real life with ADHD, it's about progress and patterns, not perfection.
5 Strategies That Made the Difference
These aren't rigid rules, they're tools in your toolkit. The goal is building a flexible routine that works with your life, not against it. Some will resonate immediately; others might take time to implement. Start where you can.
Screen-Free Wind Down (60-90 Minutes Before Bed)
This one was tough for me initially because doom-scrolling was my default way to 'relax.' But here's what's actually happening:
Dopamine spike: Every scroll, notification, or interesting video triggers a small dopamine hit. For ADHD brains already struggling with dopamine regulation, this creates hyperarousal exactly when we need to wind down.
Blue light: Screens suppress melatonin production (the hormone that signals sleep time to your brain). Even with night mode, the stimulation itself is problematic.What I do instead: Reading (actual books and magazines), listening to podcasts, games with my family, or just talking. If I’m very good I even manage to mediate or practice a Yoga Nidra exercise. Some nights I manage 90 minutes screen-free; other nights it's 60 minutes. Both are wins. I have also taken to deleting my social apps during the week.
Early Dinner + Strategic Eating
This strategy has multiple sleep benefits:
Blood sugar rollercoaster: Eating late, especially sugary or carb-heavy foods, causes blood sugar spikes. A few hours later (typically around 2-3am), your blood sugar crashes. Your body responds by releasing cortisol and adrenaline to bring it back up, hormones that wake you up or pull you out of deep sleep.
Alcohol's hidden impact: While alcohol might help you fall asleep initially, it destroys REM sleep, the stage crucial for emotional regulation and memory consolidation. For ADHD brains already struggling with emotional dysregulation, this is a double hit.My approach: I aim to finish dinner by 7pm when possible. I eat vegetables first, then protein, then any starches/carbs. This order significantly blunts blood sugar spikes. I don’t drink anymore anyway so the no alcohol bit is easy for me. But life happens, pizza nights with friends, celebrations, travel. When that happens, I just get back on track the next day.
No Caffeine After Lunch
Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours. This means that coffee at 3pm leaves 25% of the caffeine still in your system at midnight. For ADHD brains that are already 'wired', this compounds the problem.
Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors. Adenosine is the neurotransmitter that builds up throughout the day and signals tiredness. When caffeine blocks these receptors, you don't feel tired even though your brain needs rest.My rule: No caffeine after 1pm. Yes, I miss my afternoon coffee sometimes. But the trade-off for better sleep is worth it. If I really need an afternoon boost, I'll go for a quick walk or practice 10 minutes of Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR - google it!).
Brain Dump Journaling
Racing thoughts are probably the most common sleep complaint I hear from clients. Your brain knows this is the only quiet time to process everything, so it helpfully starts reviewing your entire life at 11pm.
The solution isn't to fight these thoughts, it's to externalise them. This:
a. Reduces cortisol: Writing down your worries and to-dos signals to your brain that they're 'handled' and don't need to be actively remembered.
b. Decreases sleep onset time: Studies show that spending 5 minutes writing down tomorrow's tasks can significantly reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.My practice: I keep a notebook by my bed. Before sleep, I do a quick 'brain dump'—worries, tasks, random thoughts, whatever's swirling. It doesn't need to be organised or grammatically correct. Just out of my head and onto paper. Some nights this takes 2 minutes; other nights it's 10 minutes. Both work.
Consistent Routine with Morning Light
This is the strategy most people overlook, but it might be the most powerful:
Your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that governs your sleep-wake cycle, is primarily set by morning light exposure, not by what you do at night. Getting bright light exposure within the first hour of waking tells your brain 'this is the start of the day' and sets in motion a cascade of hormones that will make you sleepy approximately 14-16 hours later.
Even 5-10 minutes of natural daylight has huge effects if you're consistent. For ADHD brains with dysregulated circadian rhythms, this consistency is medicine.My routine: I aim for 10 minutes outside with my morning coffee, no sunglasses. Some days I hit it; some days I don't. When I travel or when UK weather is miserable, I use a bright light therapy lamp instead. The key is the pattern over time, not perfection each day.
The same goes for your evening routine by the way. Consistent sleep and wake times train your body when to expect sleep. But again, we're aiming for patterns, not rigid schedules. If you stay up late on Friday with friends, that's life being lived. Just gently guide yourself back to your pattern.
Progress, Not Perfection
I need to be really clear about this: I don't hit all 5 of these strategies every night. Some nights I'm watching Netflix too close to bedtime. Some weeks I have coffee at 3pm. Life happens! Late work deadlines, social events, travel, poorly children, or just needing to break your own rules because rigidity isn't sustainable.
The magic isn't in perfect adherence, it's in the overall pattern. If you can implement 3 out of 5 strategies most nights, you'll likely see real improvement. If you can only manage 1 or 2 right now, that's still progress.
What matters is that you're aware of what helps and you keep coming back to it more often than not. That's how sustainable change actually happens.Pick one thing that resonates with you and experiment for a week or two. Notice what changes. Build from there. Be kind to yourself when life throws you off track. And remember that better sleep is possible, even with an ADHD brain.