By Melodie Veldhuizen

Most children have problems falling asleep some nights. In the case of diagnosed attention-deficiency hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD, however, sleeping problems are the norm rather than the exception. Why do children with ADHD have problems sleeping? One of the most important reasons is that the ADHD brain is hypersensitive to external stimuli. This, of course, creates a vicious circle. Only one night of poor sleeping can cause her to struggle even more to concentrate the following day, and she then has a difficult time falling asleep at night. For this reason a good night’s rest is imperative for everybody – especially for children with ADHD. If the problem is left unattended, the pattern will repeat itself ad infinitum. Fortunately there are ways in which you can help the sandman to get your child to dreamland quicker. Where possible, it would be advisable not to make your child with ADHD an exception but for the sake of a healthy family routine to include all the younger children in the bedtime strategies.

Before bedtime

Enough exercise during the day will help your child to fall asleep easier at night because physical exhaustion is a natural sedative.

Avoid highly stimulating activities during the last half-hour or even longer before your child has to go to bed. This includes visual stimulation such as computer games, TV programmes and DVDs. They should preferably also not be physically active such as chasing each other around the house. The blue light emitted by the screens of electronic equipment affects the body’s pineal gland and decreases the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Therefore, explain to your child that the rule to switch off all electronic equipment shortly before bedtime is not intended to punish him but rather to help him sleep well so that he will be well rested in the morning and feel good to do everything he has to do, especially at school.

Reward your child the next day during the day if he followed your bedtime routine the night before. Do this by means of something that he will regard as valuable and motivate him to repeat this good behaviour. But do not reward him by allowing exceptions to the bedtime routine and rules because that will be counterproductive.

Calm the overactive brain

Many chilen with ADHD find it difficult to calm down their overactive brains before bedtime. The secret is to divert his attention from all things that happened during the day or from flights of the imagination that could keep him awake. There are various ways of doing this. Read him a short story or allow your older child to read by himself from a favourite book, but only for a set time, which will be determined by the child’s age. You can also sing a song or two together. Let him listen to quiet, soothing music – it can be classical music or music of his choice (preferably not music that will make him want to jump out of bed or send him on a flight of the imagination).

Basic bedtime principles

Be on the lookout for delaying tactics and try to wrap it up before the start of the bedtime routine. Prep him with hot milk to which a teaspoonful of honey, cinnamon or vanilla has been added to relax your child. Keep a consistent bedtime routine and stay with it until it becomes a habit in spite of initial protests. Bedtime must be the same every night, depending on the age of the child. Start with a nice, relaxing bath session, followed by anything that relaxes your child’s active brain and that he enjoys doing. If you are believers, end the evening routine by reading a Bible story and praying together as a family. And last but not the least, a loving, comforting hug. Make sure that your child associates bedtime with something positive.

Organise the bedroom so that it promotes sleep

Because children with ADHD are hypersensitive to external stimuli and their bodies react more intensely to it, it is essential to remove the stimuli as far away as possible or to lessen their effect. If possible, the child should preferably go to sleep in his own room (rather than in your bed or on the couch in front of the TV). If he’s afraid of being alone in his room, a favourite toy or blanket will calm him down and make him feel safe. Reduce unnecessary light by for instance switching off unneeded lights throughout the house, or just leaving a dim nightlight burning. The less unnatural light there is, the easier the brain will settle down. Limit domestic sounds such as a blaring radio or television, noisy siblings or loud conversations. White noise like an electric fan or a washing machine or tumble drier can help to muffle disturbing domestic sounds. Make sure thet the bedroom is neither too warm or too cold.

Additional bedtime strategies

The following strategies can be considered in collaboration with your child’s medical practitioner. Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone that can help to balance the sleep-awake balance, but children often have too little of it. Discuss the possibility of using a melatonin supplement with your doctor. If nothing else works and your child is using ADHD medication, look at a low dose of it just before bedtime in consultation with his doctor. It could, however, happen that this medication has a negative effect on your child’s sleeping pattern. Discuss the situation with your child’s doctor and consider a possible adjustment of the dosage, as well as the time the medication should be taken.

If necessary, consult an expert

If none of the above-mentioned strategies are successful, or if your child gets enough sleep but is still sleepy or tired in the morning, there is probably some other underlying problem, such as sleep apnoea. Take him to a sleep therapist for a formal evaluation.

Sources

ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-get-kids-to-sleep-adhd/

ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-sleep-problems/

Read more about the subject:

ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/download/sleep-solutions-for-kids-with-adhd/