Back to school: Sleep and ADHD

Have you ever wondered why the children who most desperately need sleep to function and stay regulated are also the ones who fight it like it’s their sworn enemy…I don’t know. I don’t make the rules.

Here’s what actually helps:

1) Start the wake-up shift before school starts. If your kid’s first 6:30 AM wake-up of the year is on the first day of school… you’re in for a rough week. We *try* to start early wake ups several days before school (currently failing at this, but I still have 2 more days!)

On the day before school, we do our favorite tradition: Breakfast at the Playground. We get up at “school day” time, grab bagels, and meet friends at the park by 7:15 AM. It’s the perfect mix of fun and practice — the kids get their last summer hurrah, and the morning routine gets a test run.

2) Get morning sunlight + movement. Circadian rhythms need light cues. Especially for ADHD brains, a little morning sunshine plus light movement signals the brain: this is the start of the day. We do a short morning walk (before it’s 100° out), and then get our bigger movement in the afternoon — swimming is our go-to.

3) Pick a set bedtime — and start at least 30 minutes early. If bedtime is 8:30 PM, we’re upstairs at 8:00 PM. That buffer time keeps “one last snack” and “but I forgot to brush” from derailing everything. Check out my handy dandy chart below! 

4) Try a bedtime meditation or sleep music. There are tons of good free ones on Insight Timer and Spotify. I've been using this with my 6 year old: https://insighttimer.com/within.wonder/guided-meditations/build-your-nest-kids-bedtime-meditation

5) Melatonin: If you use it, try tiny doses Kids with ADHD often have delayed melatonin release, which means they’re simply not sleepy at “normal” bedtimes. For my kids, the only thing that’s ever shifted their sleep window is melatonin — in teeny-tiny amounts. It comes in doses from 1 mg to 20 mg. We use 1.5 mg gummies and cut them into 1/8ths. Big doses can actually cause middle-of-the-night wake-ups. Tiny doses help them get drowsy enough to settle without messing with the night and I don't worry so much about any potential harm.

 Back-to-school week is rough for everyone, but if you can get their body clocks shifted before day one, you save yourself a lot of stress — and fewer 9:45 PM “I’m not tired” battles.

One last thing…If you start this week with good intentions and it still feels like herding caffeinated cats into bed, please know: it’s not you. It’s not them. It’s the nature of shifting routines, especially for ADHD families. For your own sanity, just accept that it's gonna be rough for 3 weeks.

Deep breath. Early bedtime for everyone. We’ve got this. And I'm here if you need me! I'm accepting new clients and have slots available 5 days a week so just reach out if you need support!