Parents of children with ADHD or similar disorder -

My 9yo is on Adderall XR 20mg..that is one of the long acting, time released types. I have the same problem, he will not go to sleep. He is in his room, just won't sleep. His brother is 7, goes straight to sleep. His doctor gave him medication to help him sleep, but it did not work, just upset his stomach. I have been known to give him Benadryl on occassion, and it does work. Just about 1hr before bed. No TV at least 2 hrs before bed and no video games. The doctor informed me that these things stimulate his brain too much. I still have problems getting him to sleep. I wish I could be of more help, but I too, am in your shoes !!

Hi Missy as you know my 7 year old is up till midnight most nights too. This is my best plan so far. Homework, freetime Tea freetime, and TV or computer game long relaxing bathtime and chat with a warm drink bedtime story, read a book DVD on quietly in bed, when it finished TV off light only fatr end of bedroom and then dully if possible, allow to read in bed At the moment Bong is asleep just before 10pm. You may have to adapt this a bit as your daughter is older and probably won't want a bedtime story, Shrek does and he's 30, lol.

My son is almost 10 and he is on Ritalin. He takes 1 pill twice daily. The second pill is given early enough that it has worn off by bedtime. I've never had a problem with my son being unable to fall asleep. I would suggest to you to talk to your doctor about medication that doesn't have such a long time span. Have you tried reducing the prescribed dosage to half in the evening or whenever the dose is suppose to be given? I would consider the medication the specialist has suggested as long as all other possible remedies has failed. Good luck to you and especially your son!

ok i have ADD as well as my son. firstly id suggest having her eat something with protein before she goes to bed, this will help her rest better and feel more rested in the mornings when she wakes up. aside from that for me the key is to keep my mind from wandering since thats what keeps me up all night if i let it. so what i do is watch tv to go to sleep this way my mind can concentrate on the tv instead of going on wild adventures, which lets me get tired and then fall asleep. another thing that works very well is a meditation CD called "holosync" its rather expensive but is especially designed to help reach deep states of meditation, which of course relaxes your body ALOT. after using this CD im out in less then 2 minutes.

Hello I have a son with ADHD too. He is the same, but I have found something that really is good for you to try. Children with ADHD,have alot of going on in his/her head, they cant settle, but they do not have sleeping problems because they wake up late!!. He he. how ever, I been reading to my son, who is soon to be 10. He loves it now, and his behavior has settled. Because I am spending that time with him, just doing something nice together, they feel important and someone that cares. Imagine yourself, you go to bed and you have like a washing machine in your head spinning over and over, over the same thing again and again... really frustration and cant get you settle to sleep. What was that you found soothing, may help your daughter to sleep better. Talk about it together and say something like. "What things make you calm". Music are good. But just explain to her to listen to nice music and try and picture something beautiful and calming.. Just try this and I would love to hear from you. But the work has to be consistent to work well. and your relationship with your daughter will grow stronger. Warm regards Susanne

My son is ADHD and the meds he takes make it hard for him to sleep as well. There are many medications out there that work with ADHD meds to help a child sleep. Sometimes that is the only way to help a child sleep. But in an effort to help my son lessen the amount of meds he is taking, I have told him, when you lay down, tell your mind it is time to shut down and tell your body to relax. I know this sounds weird, but it works. First in his mind he tells his feet to relax and works upward through the body to the neck. Then he tells his mind to relax, or his brain. This also works for people who in general have a hard time sleeping. This process only takes a few minutes and once the body is completely relaxed, it is easier for the mind to slow down so one can sleep..... As long as your daughter is resting, that is helpful...Doctors will tell you that resting is the next best thing to sleep. So while she may not be getting all the sleep she needs, rest is the next best thing to sleep, and carries alot of the benefits of sleep. I would talk to the doc again and see what kinds of meds he is thinking will help. Find the one with minimal side effects that won't aggrevate other conditions.

Have you thought about sending her to her room earlier than that? Perhaps if you use the DORE program, that will cure the ADHD (my sympathies on that) and then it will not be an issue. If the specialist really thinks that medication will be the way to go, then perhaps that is what you need to do. My 10 year old loves her bed, and will fall asleep almost as soon as she gets into bed, and not get up until 'dragged out' in the morning. Good luck with it all.

My grandchild has it, and my daughter said that when he started the meds, it was like day and night, as it is some sort of a chemical imbalance. Good luck dear, God loves you, M&M

My 13 year old takes concerta and abilify. We found that the abilify kept him awake if taken in the evening as prescribed. After consulting with his doctor this medication is now given in the morning instead. I wish I could help you with getting her to sleep earlier though. I have the same problem with my son and often there just seems to be nothing that seems to help him either.

Hi My daughter used to have that problem but her peditrician cahanged her meds Hope it helps R