Working with the kid population, we often joke about how kids have their parents wrapped around their finger with 3 things. Can you guess what they are?

Yes, they’re “eat, sleep and poop”.

One of the never-ending challenges of parents of kids with ADHD is “how to get their ADHD child to sleep.”

Sleep is healing hours, when all the growing and healing happen.

Have you ever notice that children tends to grow significantly in length over the summer break? Is it coincidence or is it because they’re sleeping more during summer?

We are always told “you do need to sleep 8 to be great!”

Like any ADHD parent, I struggled with my daughter’s sleep every night. It’s the nightmare before the actual nightmare.

Every night we’re either struggling with finishing homework or she just find all kinds of reason to stay up late.

Every night without fail, my daughter would be hungry when it’s time for bed. You know how you always give in when your child says, “I’m hungry”?

Especially, my daughter who rarely eats, so when she says she’s hungry, you just willingly comply. I was such a sucker for that. It’s her tricks to stay up late.

I’d let her have a snack then with some wrestling finally get her into bed. The next challenge is getting her to actually fall asleep.

I used to snuggle with her in bed until she falls asleep before I leave her room.

She would stay awake and I would fall asleep before she does.

So I started trying different things to help her fall asleep quickly.

Sleep disorders are common in children with ADHD. ADHD is linked with a variety of sleep problems. For example, one recent study found that children with ADHD had higher rates of daytime sleepiness than children without ADHD. Another study found that 50% of children with ADHD had signs of sleep disordered breathing, compared to only 22% of children without ADHD.

Initially, everyone thought it was side effects of ADHD medication. Then, studies later showed that actually 30-40 percent of children with ADHD have sleep disorders whether they are taking medication or not.

With what we’ve learned so far, people with ADHD has an abnormal metabolism of brain chemicals, which would make sense that their bodies do not produce enough melatonin at night as well. 

Chronic stress can also affect the production of melatonin. Stress could both physical and mental, and even metabolic stress from the environment. 

Common sleep disorders in kids with ADHD are restless legs syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, sleep walking, and night terrors. 

Although people with ADHD notoriously have difficulty sleeping, they may or may not have a sleep disorder.  The inability to get a good night’s sleep interferes with many daytime activities. 

My daughter sleep talk, and move all over the bed, sometimes, she would even get up, crawl around, then back into the bed all while sleeping. 

In general, when you don’t get enough sleep, you’re going to have a hard time focusing, communicating, following directions, and may even suffer poor short-term memory.  People with ADHD may experience many of these symptoms, whether or not they have a good night’s sleep.

For children with ADHD, too little sleep or poor sleep may have a huge impact their ADHD symptoms.

Few years ago, I went to a conference called, “Pharmacy in the Kitchen” by Dr. Micheal Lara, M.D.

During this conference I learned about the reason why we need to sleep for eight full hours. Not just for us adults, but more importantly our kids.

There are 4 stages of sleep as shown in the picture above. Most of us goes through all the stages of sleep. These stages progress in cycles from stage 1 through stage 4, then the Rapid-Eye-Movement  (REM) sleep, then start the next cycle at stage 1 again.

A complete sleep cycle takes an average of 90 to 110 minutes, with each stage lasting between 5 to 15 minutes.

The first couple sleep cycles each night have relatively short REM sleeps and longer periods of deep sleep (stage 3 and 4) but later in the night, the REM sleep periods become longer and deep sleep time become shorter.

During the first half of the 8-hour sleep cycle, our body is in the deepest sleep (stage 3 & 4). This is where our body does all the repairs and recovery from the damages sustained during the day. This is where children grows. It is also this deep sleep stages that provide the anti-inflammatory benefits of sleep.

Ok, this is the first 4 hours.

Then we enter the second half of your sleep cycle, which is just as important. Instead of having deeper sleep, your body is now experiencing longer and longer REM cycle sleep.

The REM sleep cycle is when your brain consolidates your short-term memories accumulated during the day into long-term memory.

This is what’s missing in my sleep.

For kids, this is the reason why you need to go to bed early and get full 8 hours of sleep every night, so you can grow taller, learn faster and build better memories.

Everything you learn and experience during the day will become permanent memory in an 8-hour sleep cycle.

So don’t miss out.

Children and adults behave differently when they don’t get enough sleep. Adults usually become tired and sluggish while children tend to become more hyperactive.

Not having enough sleep can also make children more moody, emotionally explosive, and/or aggressive. For this reason, not having enough sleep is sometimes confused with ADHD in children.

There’s this study involving 2,463 children between the age of 6-15 years old. They found that kids with sleep problems were more likely to be inattentive, hyperactive, impulsive, and also show oppositional behaviors.

Another study actually found that by treating the sleep problems, children have better attention and less hyperactivity.

I’ve seen many kids, who have ADHD and also obstructive sleep apnea. After they have their tonsils removed, and they started sleeping better, and their ADHD symptoms disappeared.

I’m not advocating tonsils removal. I’m just trying to show you the magical power of sleep. Besides, many kids has enlarged tonsils from being overweight. You fix their eating, you’ll fix the weight and the tonsils and ADHD issue.

Children need their sleep. There’s no excuses.

Did you know it’s also very important that your child goes to bed the same time every night whether or not it’s weekdays or weekends?

I know it a lot easier to just let the weekend go and let your kids go to sleep whenever they want, one less battle to fight.

Unfortunately, inconsistent bedtime routine can be a huge drawback.

A United Kingdom study looked at the bedtime habits of 10,000 kids when they were between 3 and 7 years old and found that kids with inconsistent bedtimes had more behavioral difficulties than those with consistent bedtime routine.

The researchers found that kids who did not have a set bedtime scored higher when it comes to things like unhappiness, being inconsiderate and fighting.

Those scores came not only from parent reports, but also from teachers of school-age kids, who rated the behavior of kids without regular bedtimes as more problematic.

Going to bed at 8 o’clock one night and 10 o’clock the next can create some kind of “jet lag,” even if they’re getting the same hours of sleep.

Similar to jet lag from flying through different time zones, your child’s body get shuffled through different time zones, and their circadian rhythms and hormonal systems take a hit as a result.

The good news is that these negative effects on behavior appeared to be reversible.

When kids in the study switched from having irregular bedtimes to having a regular bedtime there were measurable improvements in their behavior.

This shows that it’s never too late to help children back onto a positive path, and a small change could make a big difference to how well they get on.

In a follow-up study published in 2017 the researchers found that irregular bedtimes don’t just impact behavior, but can also put kids at risk for obesity and low-self esteem, and tank their math scores.

Regular bedtimes, on the other hand, can have a positive impact on a kid’s development, health and behavior.

So the next time you’re tempted to let bedtime slide, remember that by being strict with bedtime you’re not only protecting your own sleep and self-care time, but also protecting your child’s circadian rhythms and mental health.

Start with a calming bedtime routine to help wind down. Turn lights down low. Limit loud noises and bright lights, such as from electronics. Read a real paper book and even meditate to relax the mind.

Some of you may notice that your child has started sleeping better since starting the Eat to Focus Program. Because they’re better fed and no longer feel hungry in their sleep. 

The body needs nutrients, such as phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan to make brain chemicals that eventually turn into serotonin (calming chemical) and finally melatonin (sleeping chemical). 

Anyway, these are a few simple tricks that can help get your child to sleep. I’ve tried all of these, except 5HTP as melatonin works for us. 

1. Epsom Salt is said to have been discovered in the late middle ages when a farmer in Epsom, England noticed the water flowing through his property soothed skin wounds. 

Water from the Epsom’s springs are infused with magnesium sulfate, which helps ease muscle aches and pains, exfoliate dead skin cells, soothe sore feet, improve sleep, and reduce stress. 

Epsom salt’s main component is magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). It is traditionally used as a bath salt for relieving muscle aches/pains, insect bug bites, sunburns, replenishing youthful skin and detoxification. 

People often think the toxins inside the body are being drawn out of the skin pores into the bath water. The truth is that soaking in the Epsom salt bath allows the body to absorb the magnesium and sulfate through the skin into the body, then the body gets rid of toxin via its own detoxification system. 

These are best taken prior to bed time at night to calm down.

The Epsom salt bath makes you sleepy. This is because magnesium helps calm the brain.

Best of all, my daughter stops having that funny smell when she sweats.

Some children may become agitated after taking Epsom salt bath. If that’s the case start the bath with 1/4 cup of Epsom salt first, and then slowly increase over several weeks.

2. Weighted blankets offer a tangible solution for children with ADHD struggling to fall asleep. The deep pressure stimulation provided by these blankets can have a calming effect on the nervous system, helping to reduce restlessness and promote relaxation. 

For kids with ADHD who often struggle with sensory processing, the gentle yet firm pressure from the weighted blanket can provide a sense of security and comfort, allowing them to transition more easily into a state of rest. 

By promoting a more restful sleep environment, weighted blankets not only improve the quality of sleep for these children but also contribute to better focus and attention during the day, ultimately enhancing their overall well-being and functioning.

3. Proper nutrition plays a vital role in aiding children with ADHD to fall asleep more easily. Establishing a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and protein can positively impact their sleep patterns. 

Foods like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy greens provide nutrients that support neurotransmitter function and regulate hormone levels, promoting relaxation and improved sleep quality. 

Moreover, avoiding sugary snacks and caffeinated beverages close to bedtime can prevent disruptions in their sleep-wake cycle. By fueling their bodies with nutritious foods, children with ADHD are better equipped to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day, leading to a smoother transition into bedtime and ultimately facilitating a more restful night’s sleep.

4. Magnesium. Melatonin does not always work for everyone. It only works if your child is not making enough melatonin. Sometimes your body cannot make enough melatonin because your body has too much cortisol. But magnesium is a very good alternative if melatonin didn’t work for your child. 

Magnesium plays a pivotal role in relaxing tense muscles, a process that sends feedback signals to the brain to unwind and halt racing thoughts, particularly crucial for children with ADHD. As muscles relax, they convey a sense of calmness to the brain, mitigating the restlessness often associated with ADHD. This relaxation response helps lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone that can exacerbate hyperactivity and disrupt sleep. Simultaneously, the reduction in tension prompts the brain to increase melatonin production, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles. By promoting this cascade of relaxation responses, magnesium supplementation can effectively alleviate the symptoms of ADHD, leading to improved sleep quality and duration for children grappling with the disorder.

5. Essential oils have gained recognition for their potential to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality, particularly for children with ADHD. Certain essential oils, such as lavender, chamomile, and cedarwood, are known for their calming properties, which can help soothe hyperactivity and quiet racing thoughts. 

When diffused or applied topically in diluted form, these oils can stimulate the olfactory system, triggering a calming response in the brain. The aroma of lavender, for example, has been shown to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, making it a popular choice for bedtime routines. 

Additionally, essential oils like vetiver and frankincense may help enhance focus and concentration, which can be particularly beneficial for children with ADHD who struggle with attention issues during the day. 

Incorporating essential oils into a bedtime routine can create a serene and comforting environment conducive to relaxation, ultimately aiding children with ADHD in falling asleep more easily and enjoying a restful night’s rest. However, it’s essential to use essential oils cautiously and consult with a healthcare professional, especially when using them with children, to ensure safety and proper usage.

6. Establishing a structured bedtime routine tailored to the unique needs of children with ADHD can significantly improve their sleep quality and overall well-being. A recommended routine might involve initiating a 30-minute wind-down period before bedtime to gradually transition from stimulating activities to a state of relaxation. 

During this time, it’s crucial to minimize exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices, as it can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin. Instead, encourage calming activities such as reading a book together or engaging in quiet, screen-free play. 

Reading not only promotes relaxation but also fosters a sense of comfort and security. Incorporating soothing activities like gentle stretching or deep breathing exercises can further help calm the nervous system. Consistency is key in reinforcing this bedtime routine, as it provides children with ADHD a predictable structure that signals the body and mind to prepare for sleep, ultimately leading to a smoother transition into a restful night’s sleep.