SEND Parenting Podcast

EP 155: Sleep, Melatonin, And ADHD Explained - Dr Olivia

• Dr. Olivia Kessel

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Sleep problems are one of the most overlooked — and misunderstood — parts of ADHD.

In this episode of the SEND Parenting Podcast, Dr Olivia Kessel breaks down the science behind ADHD and sleep, explaining why up to 70% of children with ADHD struggle with sleep, and why this is not behavioural, it is biological.

Drawing on research and lived experience, Dr Olivia explains how delayed melatonin release and circadian rhythm disruption affect the ADHD brain, and why many children are simply not biologically ready for sleep at conventional bedtimes.

This episode was created after a conversation inside the ADHD Warrior Mum community, where a mum shared that her child was still full of energy at bedtime — and that her doctor questioned the evidence behind melatonin. That question prompted a deep dive into what the research actually shows.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Why sleep difficulties are so common in ADHD
  • How melatonin works (and what it does not do)
  • What the research says about safety and effectiveness
  • Why addressing sleep can transform emotional regulation, focus, and family life

Dr. Olivia also shares her personal journey navigating over a decade of severe sleep disruption with her daughter — and how understanding the biology changed everything.

🎧 Recommended resource:
Dr. Olivia references research and clinical insights from Dr Russell Barkley, including his YouTube talk on ADHD and sleep.
👉 Link to Dr Russell Barkley’s YouTube video on ADHD and sleep

📘 Free resource:
Download the free 30-Day Sleep Guide at
www.SENDParenting.com/Sleep

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.

📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at olivia.kessel@sendparenting.com
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.


Dr Olivia:

Welcome to the Send Parenting Podcast. I'm your neurodiverse host, Dr. Olivia Kessel, and more importantly, I'm mother to my wonderfully neurodivergent daughter, Alexandra, who really inspired this podcast. As a veteran in navigating the world of neurodiversity in a UK education system, I've uncovered a wealth of misinformation, alongside many answers and solutions that were never taught to me in medical school or in any of the parenting handbooks. Each week on this podcast, I will be bringing the experts to your ears to empower you on your parenting crusade. Before we start, this episode exists because of a conversation inside the ADHD Warrior Mom membership. One mom shared that evenings were the hardest part of the day. Her child couldn't wind down after school, everything escalated, and by bedtime everyone was already dysregulated. She also shared that she was stuck. Her Army-based psychiatrist would not prescribe melatonin, saying there was not enough evidence to support it for ADHD-related sleep. That question stayed with me because I've lived this myself and because the research is there. So I created this episode to clearly explain the science behind ADHD and sleep and to unpack what the evidence actually means about melatonin. This is what the ADHD Warrior Mom community is about: real parents bringing real roadblocks and space to ask questions in our group therapy sessions that are often shut down elsewhere. If evenings feel impossible or you're being told no without an explanation, you do not have to navigate this alone. You can find the ADHD Warrior Mom membership in the show notes, or go to SENDparenting.com backslash join. Now let's talk about sleep. Welcome, I'm Dr. Olivia Kessel, and today we're diving into a topic that transformed my daughter and my lives, and that is melatonin and how it can really impact and help sleep for all neurodiverse children, and in my daughter's case, an ADHD dyslexic child. For 11 years, yes, you heard right, 11 years, my daughter and I lived in a sleep-deprived nightmare. Bedtime was at least an hour or two battle, where I would sit outside of her door waiting for her to try and go to sleep. Mommy, I'm scared, I'm anxious. For many years, she co-slept in my bed with me. Um, was honestly the only way we would get sleep because she would wake up two, three times a night, and putting her back to bed was unbelievably difficult. She would have complete meltdowns, lash out, not want to go back to bed, and we would both be running on adrenaline trying then to get back to sleep. And many, many, many times I just brought her back to bed with me. And I wondered actually if she'd ever be able to sleep in her own bed. Um, and and this problem it had huge knock-on effects on our lives. I couldn't get a babysitter because she wouldn't feel comfortable going to sleep with a babysitter, so which meant I couldn't go out. I had no social life for a really long time. And even my own family, my father, he couldn't get her to sleep and it would activate him. I think he's got undiagnosed ADHD. And so he called me to come back. So I literally he quit as a babysitter. He told me it's not in the grandfather's handbook. So it her sleep was really limiting. And then the knock-on effects during the day, with her being tired and it making things so much worse, and me being so tired, which made my regulation also so much worse, it was a vicious, horrible cycle. And it's an unknown effect, I think, of kids who are neurodiverse that has a profound effect on the entire family. But you know, it all changed when she got that diagnosis of ADHD. And the psychiatrist explained to me that sleep can be a major issue for children and adults with ADHD. I was shocked. It was, I hadn't understood that those two could be linked. It was, um, it opened my mind. And she recommended that she prescribe melatonin, a formulation that helped not only Alexandra go to sleep in terms of fast acting, but also staying asleep. So long acting, working through the night. I have to be honest, even as a medical doctor who believes in medication in the right uh setting and for the right uh reasons, I was pretty skeptical. Um, melatonin was something that you can buy over the counter in the US and in Europe. Um, and also, you know, I hadn't realized that sleep struggles were really a part of neurodiversity and ADHD. Um, we had done every sleep program out there, and nothing had made a difference. So the night I gave her the melatonin an hour before bed, I wasn't even optimistically hopeful. I was skeptical. But you know what? When we got ready for bed, she was much calmer. We still, you know, I still sat outside her door and I still waited, but that anxiety and she was just tired and she started, it took her much less time to go to sleep. And that night she didn't wake up. We slept through the whole night. I woke up and I was shocked. I mean, for the first time in over a decade, we both woke up rested. And what was amazing, it wasn't a one-night wonder. In fact, it's built from strength to strength because two years on, and you know what? I still get a thrill when I, you know, turn on her meditation, she's under her weighted blanket, I turn off the light and I say to her, I love you. And I go downstairs, and I still get joy out of that. I'm not sitting outside in her bedroom doorway for two hours. It's one of the sleep recommendations not to sit on her bed, to sit outside the door. Um, and you know, she goes to sleep and she stays asleep. And uh it's opened up our worlds because now she doesn't worry about going to sleep either. She knows she can. So, you know, we can have babysitters now. My dad can look after her. It has been life-changing for me in terms and her in terms of her independence. She's been able to go on a PGL and she slept away from home for a week. Incredible. That could not have happened. So if you're listening on this and my story resonates with you, and you're running on fumes, and you just don't know how you're gonna get through another night, you're managing bedtime meltdowns where everyone's fight or flight systems are just in overdrive. You know, this episode is for you. We're gonna explore the science behind melatonin and why it works so dramatically for some neurodiverse kids and address any concerns you might have about long-term use. This topic actually really came up in our ADHD Warrior Mom section because one of the moms there was, you know, concerned about melatonin and the research out there. So I wanted to do a podcast to address that and also because it's been so life-changing for me and Alexandra. So the ADHD or the neurodiverse sleep crisis, before we start talking about solutions, let's understand the problem a little bit more because I didn't understand the problem. So, sleep issues in ADHD aren't just common, they're the norm. And that's not just ADHD, it's all neurodiversities. Something I wasn't aware of as a doctor. I remember driving to school so exhausted when Alexandra was 11 and saying to her, it's just not normal for you to wake up two to three times a night. It's something you do when you're small. I remember in baby groups, moms going, Oh, my daughter now sleeps through the night. And I was thinking, God, mine doesn't. Well, now you're 11 and I still, you still can't say that you're sleeping through the night. And I can't take it anymore. And you know, looking back, I feel so bad because it wasn't something that she could change, and it wasn't something she was doing to me. It was just very challenging as the lack of sleep was making everything worse for both of us. And I mean, I I need my sleep to function, as does she. Um, so interestingly, research shows that up to 70% of children with ADHD struggle with sleep. And I believe it's 55 to 65% of kids with autism. It depends on what study you read. Um, there are varying degrees, kind of between 60 to 80 percent. So basically, it's a large problem if over 50% and up to 70% or more have struggles with sleep. And it's not a parenting failure. It's not because you don't have a good sleep routine. It's, you know, it's biology. So, Dr. Russell Barkley, who's someone I really, really love and admire, he's got a great YouTube station. Unfortunately, he's just gone into permanent retirement, but all of his videos still exist. So I I will include his link in the show notes because he's really worth checking out. He's a a man of science, in fact, and I really, really like that because um it's not hype or um something you see on social media, it's based in in science. So he's an expert, and he explains that about 40% of children and 40% of adults with ADHT report significant sleep problems, rates much higher than the typical population. So, what's actually happening in the ADHD brain at bedtime? Well, the first thing is there's circadian rhythms, and that can be a real issue. So, what are circadian rhythms? Well, our bodies have an internal 24-hour clock that tells us when to feel alert and when to feel sleepy. And for children with ADHD, this clock is often misaligned. Studies have found that melatonin release in children is delayed up to 90 minutes compared to neurotypical children. So think about that. Even if your child goes to bed at 8, their brain isn't releasing the sleep hormone until 9.30 or 10. They simply, their body isn't ready for sleep yet. And if they have to wake up early in the morning, they can't go to bed when their body is ready because then in the morning they're having to wake up when they're not ready to wake up. Secondly, there's the dopamine connection. The same genes linked to ADHD are also connected to our clock genes that regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The main ADHD risk gene, DRD4, is associated with circadian rhythm disturbances. So children with ADHD also have dopamine and epinephrine systems that stay highly active, making it incredibly difficult for their brains to slow down and shut down for the night. Dr. Barclay notes that adults with ADHD report their peak wakefulness being mid to late afternoon or even early evening hours, not mid to late morning like most people. This delayed diurnal rhythm is built into their neurobiology. Thirdly, anxiety compounds the problem. And I know I experienced that with Alexandra. Around one in four children with ADHD have significant anxiety disorders. You know, when you're laying in bed, it's when all those thoughts start coming out. And that would happen for Alexandra. And her fears were really intense. Worries about me dying, worries about being alone, um, about something bad happening while she slept. I mean, we got an alarm system, we got Verisher so that she knew that no one could come and you know hurt us while we were asleep. We had an alarm on. We live in a very safe area. But this was how I was trying to deal with some of the anxieties that she was having. Um, they're not worries that you can logic away or buy an alarm system for that the anxiety was still there. So when anxiety meets that already ADHD disrupted sleep system with the circadian rhythms, it creates a perfect storm. It also becomes a vicious cycle. And here's what's so devastating. Poor sleep doesn't just make bedtime miserable, it worsens ADHD symptoms the next day. Sleep deprivation increases impulsivity, inattention, and emotional dysregulation, which then makes it even harder to establish good sleep habits. So you get trapped in this cycle where ADHD disrupts sleep, sleep deprivation worsens ADHD. And I live with this for over a decade. Some mornings I don't know how we honestly made it through another day. So melatonin, what's the science behind it and why does it work? Okay, when nothing else really seemed to. So what is melatonin exactly? Well, melatonin is a hormone that's naturally produced by the pineal gland in your brain. It's not a sleeping pill, it's a signal. When darkness falls, your body should naturally release melatonin, telling your brain, okay, it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. The key word here is it should. For children with ADHD, this system is broken or delayed. So why many children with ADHD and other neurodiversities need supplemental melatonin? Research has consistently shown that children have delayed melatonin onset. Their bodies start producing it 45 to 90 minutes, depending on which study you're looking at, later than neurotypical children. They have lower overall melatonin levels during the evening hours, which makes going to sleep harder. And they also can have irregular melatonin production that doesn't align with conventional sleep times. Supplementing with melatonin doesn't drug your child to sleep. It provides the signal their brain should be giving but isn't. You're essentially resting their eternal clock to align with a healthier sleep wake cycle. So what's the research? Well, the evidence supporting melatonin for ADHD sleep issues is it's substantial. A clinical study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that melatonin advanced sleep onset by 27 to 48 minutes and increased total sleep duration by 62 minutes. That's an additional hour. Okay? That's a lot. Another study found that 60.8% of children on stimulant medication experienced improved sleep when taking melatonin. This is crucial because although stimulants can sometimes help with sleep, they can also themselves disrupt sleep depending on when they're taken. So research on children with chronic sleep onset insomnia showed that 88% saw significant improvements in sleep patterns with melatonin supplementation. So Dr. Barclay's perspective, and he's got a great YouTube on this that you can look up, and I will have that in the show notes. Dr. Barclay notes that for delayed sleep onset in ADHD, low doses of melatonin take two to three hours before the desired bedtime. I would say that's probably about one to two in my experience, but I, you know, for us, you got to see what works for your child. I give Alexandra her melatonin about an hour before bed and it works perfectly. If I give it 30 minutes, shh, it sh it takes her a while. So you have to find what's right for your child. Also, what he recommends is combining bright light exposure in the morning, which can also help to shift that body's clock. The timing, though, is key. It's not just taking it and hoping for sleep, it's about strategically resetting that circadian rhythm. And you can play around with it to see what works with your child. And in fact, even when I pick up my daughter from like an event where she's been at late at night, like if it's a theater performance or something, I will bring the melatonin with me and we'll take it before we go home. So by the time we've done our sleep routine, it's been about that hour and then she's ready to go to sleep. If I don't do that and I forget and we come home and I give her the melatonin, I've got to accept that there's no point in trying to go to sleep right away. We've got to wait for it to become active. So he also, you know, he his research has also looked at, you know, there's other formulations. You can put melatonin subliminally, that means underneath the tongue, and it can work faster and it can bring on sleep in about 20 minutes. Um, but you know, as I said, we have the slow acting and the fast acting form, and that really works well. When Alexandra, you know, first took that prescription. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. We had really tried everything. We tried sleep hygiene, routines, breathing exercises, weighted blankets, tapping, everything. You named it. Nothing worked consistently. But that first night with melatonin, she yawned, her eyelids were going heavy, and she said, Mommy, I feel sleepy. And within minutes, she went to sleep. And I actually went back to check on her a few times because it wasn't something we'd experienced in so many years. And you know what? She stayed asleep all night for really the first time since she was born. So in England, we have to get melatonin as a prescription. In other countries like Europe and America, you can get it over the counter. Does that make a difference? And you know, this confused me for years. Why is melatonin prescription only in the UK when you can buy it over the counter in other countries? So there's a regulatory difference. In the UK, melatonin is classified as a medicine and requires a prescription. In the US and most European countries, it's classified as a dietary supplement and available over the counter. This isn't about safety, it's about regulatory philosophy. The UT, the UK, excuse me, takes a more cautious approach to substances that affect sleep and brain function, requiring a medical oversight. So I have to be honest with you. The dosing is difficult with drops, and the concentration of the melatonin can differ because it's not regulated. So I guess that increased my skepticism when the psychiatrist prescribed a specific formulation that short acting and long acting. You know, the short acting helps with falling asleep and the long acting helps with staying asleep. But really, it was a game changer. There's also, as I've just mentioned, you know, the quality kind of control issue. With over-the-counter supplements, studies have found that there's a huge variability in the strength and the purity of the over-the-counter melatonin products. The same brand stating one milligram might be significantly weaker or stronger depending on the batch, because dietary supplements aren't held to the same manufacturing standards as prescription medications. A 2017 study published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine tested 31 melatonin supplements and found melatonin contains content ranged from From negative 83% to plus 478% of the labeled amount. That's a huge variation. And 26% of the products contained serotonin, an undisclosed ingredient. Variability existed not just between brands, but between different bottles of the same brand. This explains why the drops I bought didn't work. I had no way of knowing if they claimed, if they actually contained what they claimed. So for me, I'm really happy that I live in the UK because I believe there's a lot of benefits to having a prescription. It's consistent regulated dosing. You know exactly what you're getting. It's pharmaceutical grade quality, no mystery ingredients. There's medical oversight. Your doctor can monitor effectiveness and adjust dosing when needed. And there's specific formulations like the combined short and long acting that we use. So we use a two milligram of the combined formulation, which is a relatively low dose and it's been over two years and it still works as effectively as day one. So if you're using over-the-counter, if you're in a country where melatonin is over-the-counter and you're using it, stick with the same brand and pay really close attention to any changes in effectiveness between bottles. If one bottle stops working, it might not be tolerance, it might be quality variability. So my case with my daughter is not the case for all the moms that I know about, and it's not the case of some of the moms in the ADHD warrior mom community. So, you know, some kids experience tolerance. So let's let's tackle these concerns head on because I know you've heard them and I've heard them too. So will my child build up tolerance? Will it stop working? This is probably the biggest question I get. So here's what the research says. So Dr. Barclay notes that melatonin can lose effectiveness over time for some people, but this isn't universal. The experience varies dramatically between individuals. So clinical evidence from long-term studies is limited, but what we have is encouraging. Many clinicians report patients taking melatonin daily for years with no negative issues and continued effectiveness. However, some people do find that after chronic use, they see less benefit. The solution some families use is giving melatonin breaks every few weeks to allow the body to reset. We haven't needed to do this, and our experience mirrors those patients who have been able to maintain effectiveness over the years. And I know for some parents it's really scary to even think about going on a melatonin holiday because life was so different without melatonin. The key distinction Dr. Barkley makes is crucial. People with ADHD may have different needs and responses than neurotypical people because they have dysregulation in their sleep regulation system. You're not supplementing an adequate system, you're correcting a deficient one. So concern number two, will my child's brain stop producing melatonin naturally? This is a valid theoretical concern. Could giving melatonin long-term cause the brain to produce less of it naturally? The honest answer is we don't have definitive long-term studies that proves this doesn't happen. However, here's the counter-argument. Children with ADHD already have disrupted melatonin production. You're not suppressing a healthy system, you're supporting a dysfunctional one. Additionally, many children and adults have used melatonin for years and can stop without issues, suggesting the body doesn't forget how to make it. Our clinical psychiatrist emphasized that the benefits of proper sleep far outweigh the theoretical risks of supplementation, especially when you're taking a hormone the body naturally makes not a synthetic drug. What about long-term safety? We don't have decades of data. You're right. We don't have 30 years longitudinal studies on melatonin use starting in childhood. What do we have? Well, we have short-term studies showing it's safe and effective for ADHD-related sleep issues. We have widespread clinical use with doctors and pediatricians commonly prescribing it. And we have decades of use in countries where it's been available longer without any major safety signals. It's got a strong safety profile in all the existing research.

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Dr.

Dr Olivia:

Barclay acknowledged it's generally safe for short-term use and notes mixed results and long-term effectiveness, but doesn't flag up any major safety concerns. The medical consensus is that melatonin is one of the safest sleep interventions available, especially compared to other sleep medications or the documented harms of chronic sleep deprivation. So another concern is that melatonin only helps falling asleep, not staying asleep, or sleep quality. This is partially true, and this is why formulation matters. Standard immediate release melatonin primarily helps with sleep onset, but extended release or combined formulations can help with staying asleep. Our prescription, as I've said many times in this podcast, helps with both, and it addresses Alexandra's two issues, which was going to sleep and staying asleep.

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Dr.

Dr Olivia:

Barkley mentions that long-acting forms can help with staying asleep, also supporting this approach. As for sleep quality, melatonin helps you get the sleep cycles you need by allowing you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Better continuity of sleep inherently improves that sleep architecture that you're building. So another concern that I've heard is what about side effects like nightmares or behavioral changes? Like any substance, melatonin can have side effects, and some children can experience vivid dreams or nightmares. Some have morning grogginess. We've never experienced that, and very rarely headaches. We've experienced none of these, but it's important that you know about them and you monitor your child and stop if any of those develop and they are concerned you. So the best idea is to start with the lowest effective dose, typically one milligram, and increase, if it's needed, up to five milligrams. We've settled at two and we haven't needed to go higher. So concern number six is about taking breaks from melatonin. Should we take breaks? Some families do, some don't. We haven't, and it continues to work effectively. If it stopped working, I might consider it. I think your child will lead you on what is the right path forward. The bottom line on safety is melatonin, is it perfectly studied with decades of data? No. Is it safer than chronic sleep deprivation damaging your child's brain, the family stress and dysfunction caused by years of sleep battles, any of the other pharmaceutical aids, like an antihistamine, which often like has other effects and also has your child waking up really groggy? So it's a decision you need to make, but when you see the dramatic benefits, for me it was an easy decision to continue using melatonin. So, how can you use melatonin? If you're considering it for your child, here's a way of how to use it safely and effectively. The first thing to do is consult your doctor, whether that's your GP or your psychiatrist if they have one, because it's prescription only in the UK. You have to talk to a prescribing physician. So they can rule out other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, and they can guide you on appropriate dosing for your child's age and weight, and they can also work with you to monitor the effectiveness and adjust the dose if it's needed. The second step in terms of making it work for you is to optimize the timing of when your child takes it. It isn't take it right before you go to sleep. For maximum effectiveness, like I said, you want to take it 30 to 60 percent. Like I said earlier in the podcast, you have to kind of figure out what works for your child. For us, you know, 30 minutes is the minimum, an hour is much better. And honestly, I pack it, I have it in my bag so that if we're out and we've gone out to dinner or something like that, I will give it when I know that we're gonna be home in about an hour. And, you know, be consistent with it. You know, when you're not going out or doing something unusual in the evening, do it every evening at the same time because that reinforces that sleep wake cycle and the body gets used to it. So, you know, for us, Alexandra takes it at 6:37 because we go to bed at 7.38. Her bedtime is shifting a bit as she gets a bit older. So we're shifting when she takes her melatonin. Excuse me. And also, a key thing is to start low and go slow. Begin with one to two milligrams, and then you can build up. You've got to wait three to four or five days to assess before I would even say longer, two weeks. And then, you know, the maximum dose is typically like five to six milligrams. More isn't always better. So, you know, try on the minimum dose first. And also combine it with good sleep hygiene. We didn't throw away everything we learned from all the sleep um things that I had bought or researched or gone into. It's really good if you pair it with a good sleep hygiene. So, you know, consistent bedtime room routines, the same sequence events every night, dim lighting in the evening to naturally boost that melatonin. No screens an hour or two before bed. I, you know, our iPads, everything, the Wi-Fi is off. So there's no way for her to go on her devices. We do it at seven o'clock at night. There's, you know, no more phones, no more blue light from those devices, which actually suppress melatonin. And then in the morning, bright light exposure really helps also to reset that circadian rhythm. So we still do all our bedtime rituals. You know, we still have our nighttime read in bed. We do breathing or tapping if she's feeling anxious, she has a weighted blanket, and we play her sleep meditation. So melatonin didn't replace these, it actually helped facilitate it to work. So we use Alexa reminders to remind us to take our melatonin. We use Alexa for a lot for reminders. So, you know, it tells her to take her melatonin. And, you know, a couple of times we have, you know, forgotten to take the melatonin. And I have to tell you, the old street sleep struggles that we've been having, they returned immediately. And it's really a slap in the face that, you know, she really needs that melatonin. You know, it's not about parenting or routines, it's about the biology. So choose the right formulation. If you have access to a prescription, consider the combined or short if that's what your child needs. Um, discuss sublingual if you need a faster action. And then if you are in a country where you're using over-the-counter, you know, try to stick with pharmaceutical grade brands, do some research on it, you know, consider an extended release formulations, go on to parent chat groups, see who's using what and what works, and stay with the same brand to minimize that variability. And then most importantly, monitor and adjust. You know, you can keep a simple sleep blog, you can record it, you know, just on your phone, you know, with your audio, when when you gave the melatonin, when they fell asleep, how many times they woke up, what their mornings were like, you know, and this can kind of help you identify patterns and also help you to communicate with your doctor. So here's something crucial to understand. Melatonin isn't a standalone solution. It's one wheel. Sleep is foundational, you know. Um, and without it, it makes everything harder. So I can only, you know, recommend that if you're struggling, um, it's something to try. And it's something that really has made a huge impact on us and on our family. You know, it has such a big ripple-on effect in terms of life for both of us. You know, for Alexandra, her emotional regulation improved so much. You know, we really struggle with that. She was much more resilient and less prone to meltdowns having had that good night's sleep. At school, her focus and attention improved. Um, the the things that they struggle with with ADHD become worse with lack of sleep. And, you know, her confidence, she can now go to sleepovers, she can stay with her granddad, she can have babysitters, she can go on trips. In fact, she's going on a trip to Paris in in, you know, in the Easter holidays. And I didn't think that would be possible. And then from a physical health perspective, her immune system's gonna be, you know, better having that sleep. And she's actually getting sick less. Her attendance from sickness has improved dramatically. And you know what? She wakes up happy instead of exhausted and irritable. And I have to say, had a profound impact on me as well. I've got my evenings back. I can go downstairs and you know, watch some TV or read or just have time to myself. My mental health, my stress levels have plummeted, and I've become a better, more patient parent. My ability to keep myself calm, which is so important to keep myself regulated for Alexandra, is so much easier. I have freedom now. I can go out in the evenings. In fact, I'm going out tonight. Exciting. And, you know, it enabled me to have a relationship. You know, I was able to meet someone and date someone for a year and a half. Okay, it ended, but you know what? I was able to, and it was years and years, decades where I hadn't been able to do that. And, you know, it gave me hope that, you know, things can get better and you can find solutions for sleep. So, you know what? Um, if you're listening to this and you were where I was at, and you're exhausted and you're wondering if your family will ever sleep normally, I want you to hear this. There is hope. Sleep problems are not your fault. It's a sign of your child's neurodiversity, ADHD autism, or combination. It's not a sign of bad parenting or lack of discipline. It's biological, it's rooted in their circadian rhythm disruption and delayed melatonin production. Melatonin can be life-changing. It was for us, but use it wisely. Work with your doctor, start with the appropriate dosing, be consistent with timing, combine it with that good sleep hygiene, monitor it for effectiveness and side effects, and remember it's part of a holistic approach. Yes, we need more long-term studies. Yes, there's variability in how children respond. Yes, there are legitimate questions about extended use. But for families like mine who were drowning in sleep deprivation, the documented benefits and the strong safety profile make melatonin a valuable tool worth trying under medical supervision. For us, melatonin didn't just give her better sleep, it gave us our lives back. So if you'd like more information on creating better sleep routines, I've got a free sleep guide. It's at SEND parenting.com backslash sleep. I'll also include it in the show notes. It's got practical strategies, a bedtime routine checklist, and tips for using techniques like tapping to reduce nighttime anxiety. So I want to say a big thank you for listening to me. Um, I hope this episode helped and please share it with another parent who might be exhausted, who isn't getting sleep, and needs some hope. Until next week, I wish you and your children a restful night and peaceful days. Thank you for listening, Send Parenting Tribe. If this episode resonated, it's really just about sleep. It's about our children and our regulation, overwhelm, and trying to support a child in a system that does not always meet them where they are. Inside the ADHD Warrior Mom membership, we look at the whole picture: sleep, emotions, school, and you as a parent and giving you that support. You can find the link in the show notes, SNBParenting.com backslash join. Hopefully you will come and join us in the community. Thank you for listening and see you next week.