Sleep for ADHD'ers: The roadmap to good zzz's
Good sleep is the foundation of your mental health - if you don't sleep well, you don't feel well. But there are multiple ways you can improve your sleep if you have ADHD.
Remember: You don’t have to read the entire article. If you have ADHD and struggle with reading articles, scroll down to the ‘How can I improve my sleep?’-section for the guide.
When I’m not sleeping, everything else falls apart: focus, patience, emotions, memory, motivation - gone.
I become a complete zombie, trudging through my day on auto-pilot - until a mild inconvenience pops up, and my emotions spill out without any sort of control.
It sucks. That’s why I prioritize my sleep over… well, basically anything else. Because I know that if my sleep’s not working, the rest of my life won’t either.
But when I am sleeping? I’m calmer. I recover from stress faster. I’m less overwhelmed by everyday life. And I can regulate my emotions more easily.
How sleep impacts your ADHD
Most people know sleep is important. But for ADHD brains, sleep isn’t just “nice to have” - it’s essential for basic functioning.
When we don’t get enough quality rest, the parts of the brain that help with focus, emotional regulation, decision-making, and impulse control all struggle to function.
This means that poor sleep can make ADHD symptoms like forgetfulness, overwhelm, irritability, and procrastination feel much worse.
It also lowers our ability to handle stress, making everyday tasks feel more chaotic and exhausting.
For many of us with ADHD, improving sleep isn’t just about feeling rested - it’s a key step toward building emotional stability, clearer thinking, and more capacity to function in daily life.
How can I improve my sleep if I have ADHD?
1. Stop focusing on your bedtime - focus on your wake-time
Your body’s internal clock needs a consistent anchor - that either means that you have to go to bed at the same time every night or wake up the same time every morning to set your internal clock - and make it easier for you to fall asleep.
For ADHD brains, it’s usually easier to do in the morning than at night.
Here’s a few things you can try.
Pick a realistic wake-up time you can stick to 5-6 days a week.
Set an alarm and get up even if you didn’t sleep great.
After a few days, your body will naturally start getting tired earlier.
When you get up, aim to get sunlight in your eyes within 30-60 minutes of waking. Even 5-10 minutes outside or by a window helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
2. Make your evenings darker
Light and darkness in your environment is part of what regulates your sleep cycle - and what tells your body when to wind down. That’s why you might feel more tired during the winter when there are less hours of light and more energetic during the summer.
You can use that to your advantage: Avoid big and bright lights and live a bit more in the dark after dinner. This will alert your brain to the fact that it’s evening, and it’ll start to prep your body to go to sleep by producing melatonin.
Here’s a few things you can do:
Turn off big and bright lights after dinner - and turn on smaller lamps with a warmer glow.
Use blue-light glasses when using screens in the evening.
Replace using screens with reading a book or a calming hobby like painting or crocheting.
Use a sleeping mask or make sure your curtains block out all light from the outside when you go to sleep.
If you get up to pee during the night, don’t turn on the big light - try to use a flashlight or a small lamp.
3. Use supplements to support your sleep
There are several types of supplements that can support you in getting a good night’s sleep.
Tart cherry juice - take 30-60 minutes before bed.
Magnesium glycinate - take 1-2 hours before bed.
L-theanine - take 1-2 hours before bed.
Omega-3 - either eat fatty fish 2-3 times per week or take whenever suits you.
This is not medical advice. Remember to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement. Some supplements can interfere with existing conditions and medications.
4. Movement early in the day
Movement helps burn off excess adrenaline and calms your fight-or-flight response, which means it helps regulate your nervous system and keep you calm when it’s time for bed.
It also supports the production of melatonin - which is the sleep hormone your body naturally produces, that makes you feel tired at night.
Movement can be whatever you want it to be - swimming, cycling, walking, dancing or lifting weights. As long as you’re moving and getting your heart rate up, it counts.
5. Wind down with low-noise evenings
If you want a good night’s sleep, calming your nervous system before you get into bed can help you sleep better. Your nervous system takes time to wind down - it isn’t just a switch you flick when you’re ready to get into bed.
You can support your nervous system by lowering stimulation in the evening:
Turn off intense music or background TV noise - or switch to a comfort-show that isn’t too dramatic or require too much thought
Avoid work or stressful convos
Try soft tasks like folding laundry, stretching, or light reading
6. Train your body to recognize sleep cues
It can be hard for us to register when we feel tired. That’s why it’s a good idea to build routines so you signal to the body that it’s safe to rest.
Here’s some of the things you can do as a part of your bedtime routine:
Take a warm shower or wash your face
Drink a non-caffeinated warm drink (chamomile, magnesium, or just hot water with lemon)
Do a 2-minute body scan or gentle stretch
Use a calming or familiar scent like lavender
Listen to the same soft playlist, ambient noise or sleepcasts
When you start to do some of the same things every night before sleep, your body starts to associate the habits with sleep, and your body starts to wind down automatically.
7. Avoid excess mental stimulation in bed
If your brain associates your bed with scrolling, working, or overthinking - it won’t associate it with sleep. And that’ll make it harder for you to fall asleep, and harder for you to go back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.
Here’s what you can do:
Avoid phones in bed - try to leave your charger in a different room and leave the phone there when you want to go to sleep
Use a separate wind-down spot (couch, floor, etc.) for TV or scrolling
Only get in bed when you’re ready to sleep
If you’re stuck awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something low-stim like coloring, folding laundry, knitting, or a boring podcast
This resets the association between your bed and rest - not anxiety or stimulation.
8. Use pressure to relax your body
Pressure on your body can help calm your nervous system and relax your body before bed. There are several ways you can use pressure to improve your sleep:
Use a weighted blanket when you sleep
Get a long, firm hug from a loved one before going to bed
Put your hands around your arms or legs and gently squeeze/put pressure on yourself
And remember…
You don’t have to do all of these things to improve your sleep. This is just a long list of things that can help you improve your sleep. Pick the things that feel easy for you, so you get started and build from there.
Sleep doesn’t have to be perfect to be impactful.
Progress is always greater than perfection.