Posted by Jakeo29 on December 6, 2008, at 12:26:36
I was doing some research and in fact as the others said in there post-stimulants may be a key factor in the regulating of sleeping patters. Think about it Attention Deficit causes lack of concentration, impulsivity, and attention. In theory due to the under activity of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in the frontal lobes, limbic and Striatum parts of the Brain. It would make sense that when you go to sleep at night, ADHD does not go away. Its still present, your just unconscious going through various sleep cycles. If those mentioned parts of the brain are under active-your brain at night may not be "focusing" on regulating it's sleep cycles. As you increase stimulation to these parts of the brain, the brain relaxes and able to focus. I guess at night to say: allowing your subconscious to focus on the proper sleep cycles when you are asleep. So you can in theory have "ADD sleep" or "Good sleep" Sounds confusing therefore the following article I found may shed light on this. I also deal with Narcolepsy and Aspergers. I just throw the ADD as a symptom of AS-thus only having just 2 disorders instead of half of the DSM. The sleep doctor is intrigued however uncomfortable in prescribing night time Concerta-however he told me to tell my psychiatrist these interesting findings. For now I do not have the "eyeballs popping out of your head tiredness with the Strattera-Concerta combo. And I think the tiredness obviously was leading to the depression. Enough babbling, here is the article:
"Using Stimulants to Improve Sleep in Adults with ADHD"
by Terry Matlen, ACSW
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Related: ADHD, Treatment, Adults With ADHD, sleep, More Tags>research, Fewer Tags>
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It may seem counter-intuitive to suggest that taking stimulant medications at night might help adults with ADHD fall asleep and stay asleep, but a new study points to just that.
The study, published in the March 1, 2008 issue of the journal Sleep, discovered that adults with ADHD suffering from sleep disturbances found relief when treated with methylphenidate (the main ingredient in Ritalin).
Lead author, Esther Sobanski, MD, of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, followed two groups of adults with ADHD. The first group of 34 adults had ADHD but was not receiving medication. Of this group, 24 did not have co-morbid psychiatric disorders.
The second group, the control group, included adults without ADHD or any psychiatric disorders and who were not taking psychotropic medication.
Dr. Sobanski found that those with ADHD slept less, fell asleep later and woke up more often than those without ADHD. In addition, the quality of their sleep was poorer than the controls, with less REM sleep and REM density.
Further, adults with ADHD showed identical sleep problems to children with ADHD, including a longer time to fall asleep, more nocturnal activity and awakenings, reduced sleep efficiency and decreased REM activity.
Using methylphenidate for sleep problems in adults with ADHD had never been studied before, and though the number of adults in this study was small, it seemed to demonstrate that the medication had beneficial effects on those with sleep disturbances due to their ADHD and in addition, improved daytime functioning.
Dr. Sobanski found that ADHD adults treated with methylphenidate reported a number of benefits, including less time falling asleep, fewer awakenings, less psychosomatic symptoms while falling asleep and improved evening mood. They also reported better sleep quality in general.
Many parents, under the guidance of their child's physician, have found that adding a stimulant before bedtime can help their child fall asleep. This new study confirms that the same protocol may be helpful in the treatment of ADHD related sleep problems in adults. Of course, whether using stimulants in adults *or* children for sleep problems, it is essential to discuss this with your physician, as one of the side effects of stimulant medication can actually cause insomnia.
If adding stimulants to your bedtime regime is not recommended by your doctor, here are some tips to help you fall asleep:
1. Write down all the thoughts, concerns, brainstorms and to-do lists on a piece of paper before going to bed. This will help to free your mind of cluttered thoughts.
2. Practice good sleep hygiene: get to bed at a reasonable hour consistently, every night, regardless of weekends or vacations.
3. Consider using "white noise" to help you fall and stay asleep. There are gentle sound machines that one can consider, or CDs with nature sounds. Others find falling asleep with the TV or radio on to be helpful.
4. Eliminate bedtime snacks. A full stomach can make falling asleep more difficult. Reduce your caffeine intake towards the end of the day.
5. Take a warm bath or shower to relax yourself.
6. Engage in activities that bore you to sleep, like reading a long, complicated novel. Stay away from the computer or gripping TV shows that hold your attention.If sleep continues to be a problem, see your doctor who might recommend a sleep study.
poster:Jakeo29
thread:867016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/867016.html