Like many "night people," I have a hard time waking up in
the morning, but I have an even harder time falling asleep
at night. When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she
offered me a very simple solution: take 3 hours to "wind
down" before bed. Don't do anything stimulating in the
evening that will engage your brain. Relax, unwind, and
you'll find yourself falling asleep much easier at night.
Sounds simple, right? Not when you have ADD!
People with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD)
often find themselves chronically tired during the day, but
unable to sleep at night. This can be true for adults and
kids alike. Some of us seem to have our own internal
schedule - a body and mind that want to sleep all day and
be productive at night. Unfortunately, most of the world
doesn't work this way. Many people with ADD have a schedule
to conform to, and find themselves suffering with sleepless
nights and sluggish days.
But if we have a possible solution - don't do anything
stimulating 3 hours before bed - then why do we still have
a problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a relaxing
evening free from stimulation, I have a much easier time
both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately,
relaxing and winding down in the evening is not as easy as
it seems. Two main symptoms of ADD are hyperactivity (which
can be physical and/or mental) and impulsiveness. These are
2 things that constantly tempt the brain to get active.
Additionally, once a task or project is picked up, people
with ADD have the potential to "hyperfocus" on it and lose
track of time. In order to avoid this and wind down, I find
it best to adhere to a routine. I have to schedule my
activities for the evening, and not allow myself to get
caught up in anything that I find engaging, like emailing,
talking on the phone, or even picking up an interesting
book.
When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine,
whether it is for yourself or your child, identify the one
or two things that usually provide the most stimulation and
eliminate them from the pre-bedtime hours. In my own
routine, I begin my wind down by shutting off my computer
right after dinner. This prevents me from getting caught up
in email, research, or any other number of interesting
things that the Internet has to offer.
The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to
schedule in "down time" for some serious relaxing. For me,
this can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a
walk with my dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair
and breathing deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.
And finally, set up a "signal" that will let your body know
it's time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do
at night is brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body
and mind that the day is now over and it is time to rest.
You may choose to do some light reading, tuck in the kids,
or make your lunch for tomorrow - what it is doesn't
matter, as long as it's the same small task repeated every
night.
Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine.
People with ADD often work well with this kind of
structure. You can change the activities you plan for each
night, as long as you stick to the basics. Get your body
and mind used to winding down in the evenings, and you may
just find yourself falling asleep easier at night!
----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management
Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The
Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work
with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in
order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free
resources and information on adult ADD, visit
http://www.ADDmanagement.com . To learn more about Odd One
Out, visit http://www.odd-one-out.net .
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