ADHD has been shown to have a significant correlation with the quality of sleep, often negatively interfering with several factors that are involved in getting a good night’s sleep. Primarily, those with ADHD may struggle to both fall asleep and stay asleep, causing them to get less overall sleep and poorer quality sleep due to waking up several times throughout the night. As well, those with ADHD are more at risk of developing sleeping disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. Due to the struggles, they experience falling and staying asleep, those with ADHD are also more likely to struggle waking up in the morning.

Not being able to get enough rest and sleep through the night has been shown to worsen the symptoms of ADHD while awake and throughout the day, making daily functioning that much more difficult. Narcolepsy is also more common in adults with ADHD, causing the individuals to feel extremely tired throughout the day, leading to an urge to fall asleep at likely very inconvenient times. A lack of sleep or regularly only getting poor quality sleep will quickly affect proper functioning for daily activities, making it harder to focus, and causing impairments in judgment or overall mood, causing a loss in productivity at work, school, or home. If the sleep problems lead to worsened symptoms of ADHD throughout the day, then the next night’s sleep can be negatively impacted, causing a cycle of poor sleep and worsening symptoms that can be difficult to break.

ADHD can cause individuals to struggle with self-regulation and maintaining schedules, and they are more likely to be susceptible to late-night distractions that quickly lead to keeping the brain stimulated late into the night. This, combined with different side effects from medications, can quickly cause individuals with ADHD to stay up too late and struggle to stay asleep throughout the night. One of the most common symptoms of ADHD is restlessness, which can infiltrate the body and mind when trying to fall asleep, leading to feeling a need to readjust or change position, frequently awaking the individual, or just lowering the overall quality of sleep that one can have even if they slept through the night. It is also common for those with ADHD to suffer from circadian rhythm dysregulation, often causing it to be delayed, which is why it is more common for those with ADHD to be considered “night owls,” as they feel the need to fall asleep and wake up later. A delayed circadian rhythm is typically around 2 hours behind the average person, which makes waking up for school or work much more difficult.

Adults with ADHD tend to get less sleep than the average person, who requires around 7 to 8 hours on average to function properly the next day. If an individual with ADHD also suffers from insomnia, they will likely only be able to get closer to 4-5 hours of sleep, which will likely be of lower quality. While every adult should be getting their allotted 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep every night, those with ADHD also require 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep; otherwise, their symptoms will likely be worse the following day. Studies have also shown that many adults with ADHD may require more sleep than the average person due to the higher rate of stimulation in their brains throughout the day.

Visit Psychiatry Unplugged for ADHD assessment and treatment. We have convenient locations to serve you in Glendale and Los Angeles, CA. Contact us for more information or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Los Angeles CA, Glendale CA, Beverly Hills CA, Santa Monica CA, Hollywood CA, Burbank CA, and Pasadena CA.