Thoroughly ADHD
I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. I'm here to share what I've learned so other people with ADHD can enjoy better lives!
Thoroughly ADHD
Your ADHD Brain Is Working Against Your Bedtime, But You Can Outsmart It
Executive function deficits with ADHD create significant barriers to establishing healthy sleep routines, from impulsively starting projects late at night to losing track of time while hyper-focused on activities.
• Start your bedtime routine earlier than neurotypicals - right after dinner
• Prepare everything for tomorrow during your evening routine
• Write down routine steps and set alarms as reminders
• Turn off screens 1-2 hours before bedtime
• Identify your specific bedtime hurdles and experiment with creative solutions
• Maintain consistent sleep schedules even on weekends
• Consider adjusting your schedule to match your natural circadian rhythm if possible
• Create a sleep environment with a good pillow, comfortable mattress, and a dark, quiet, cool room
Come back next Tuesday for more ADHD management strategies and remember to like, follow or subscribe.
Why can't you get to bed on time? If you have ADHD, weak executive function will interfere with your ability to get yourself off to bed. You might impulsively start projects late in the day, or you're hyper-focused on something and don't realize the passage of time, or on the way to bed you remember something really important is due tomorrow morning and it is not ready to go. Maybe you just forget you meant to go to bed. Streaming was my poison and I was regularly sitting through entire seasons of some stupid show right through the wee hours of the morning. Whatever your bedtime hurdles are, with a little effort and a lot of planning you can probably overcome them.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:I'm Alex Delmar, a certified life coach and person with ADHD. Welcome to Thoroughly ADHD, where I help other people with ADHD enjoy better lives. It took me forever to admit that I could not just willpower my way into bed on time and unfortunately, you probably can't do it either.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:It is best practice for everyone, ADHD or not, to try to go to bed at the same time every day and have a bedtime routine that lets your body and mind know that it's time to wind down, but I'll argue that people with ADHD should start theirs way earlier in the evening, like right after dinner, and that it should include steps like check your calendar for tomorrow and make sure you have everything you need ready to go Pick out your outfit, pack your lunch, everything. Not only will this give you less to take care of in the morning, it will relieve you from having to worry that you've forgotten something just when you're trying to fall asleep. It also allows you to manage your bedtime better, because, even if preparing for tomorrow takes much longer than you planned like you have to wash your lucky shirt or finish a project you can still make it into bed on or close to on schedule.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:It will be extremely helpful to write down the steps of your routine and to set an alarm to remind you when to start it. I also have a go to bed now alarm in case I get way off track.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:After you've taken care of prepping for tomorrow, you can watch your show or play your game or doom scroll, but remember to turn off screens an hour or two before bed because they interfere with the part of your brain that tells you it's time to sleep and sleep-inducing activities, meditate, journal or, if you want to hit all the bases, you could take a lavender-scented hot bath while listening to spa music and sipping chamomile
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:tea!.!
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:As for your personal hurdles to actually getting into bed whether you're staying up late to get a moment's peace or because you are doing something way more interesting than sleeping you will need to use the scientific method of ADHD symptom management ID the problem. Keep trying different ways to solve the problem and notice the results. Keep the strategies that work, tweak the ones that get you closer to the results you want and dump the ones that didn't work for you. Be creative with your problem solving. I solved my binge watching problem by plugging the TV into an outlet timer that I set to turn off automatically at 1am.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:Maybe you're avoiding your bedroom just because you don't like the decor In general, you'll get your best sleep with a good pillow and a comfortable mattress in a dark, quiet, cool room. You can google additional tips about good sleep hygiene, because in this case, what works for neurotypical people will work for you too. But please keep in mind that with ADHD, delayed circadian rhythms are extremely common. It really is harder for you to go to sleep and to wake up at a socially acceptable hour because you are literally fighting nature. Consistency is key, so do your best to maintain your routine even on weekends or holidays, because your body will return to its delayed sleep-wake cycle given any opportunity to do so. If you have control over your schedule, you may want to adjust your life to fit your natural circadian rhythm and just sleep later, especially if the quality of your sleep is much improved that way. But don't advertise it or do be ready to get flack from the people around you.
Alex Delmar, ADHD coach:I'm Alex Delmar and this has been Thoroughly ADHD. I know your time is valuable, so I hope you found something useful and that you'll like, follow or subscribe and come back next Tuesday. Thanks for listening and sweet dreams.