I have a sleep disorder that was diagnosed in my 40’s. If I’d taken my own symptoms seriously I may have been diagnosed sooner, however it was normal for me. This article explains that symptoms of ADD/ADHD can be similar. Good to know.
Hi Carol,
This is an interesting topic and article, not only with being well rested when diagnosed, but when considering how well we focus, interpret, remember and function.
Though I do not personally have ADD or ADHD, my own sleep issues stem from chronic pain from degenerative autoimmune diseases. When asking my Rheumatologist why I have such difficulty with things like reading retention, focus and memory, he replied that it is a result of chronic pain and lack of proper sleep due to chronic pain.
Sleep is a topic of discussion on all of the BF groups. My daughter in law and granddaughter work in sleep analysis/ medical diagnosis healthcare and they are very busy all of the time.
Just goes to show that getting proper sleep is crucial to everyone!
Not sure if this is totally relevant to your discussion, but it brought this to mind.
Hi ArtFish,
This is an interesting article and I know for me having ADHD if I don't get enough sleep it makes my symptoms worse. I've alway slept 9 to 12 hours a night. That's pretty normal for me. If I sleep like 4 or 5 hours my attention gets a lot worse I notice and I have a hard time functioning. I think if you don't have ADHD and you don't get enough sleep I agree that you would have symptoms of it. I notice that doing stuff that's boring (boring movie or if I don't understand it) even though I'm rested I'll conk out and fall asleep lol..
Thanks SK and Jazzie! I think sleep is always relevant :). More people have heard of sleep disorders now, and if a person suffers from insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness it’s worth a sleep test. I use the word “suffers” now because I was suffering but stubbornly denied it or hid my symptoms until that became impossible. It feels better to acknowledge and treat this, especially because it requires a different routine and adaptations, though in my case my medication (Ritalin) is used for ADHD as well.
Both my parents and my sisters are known for nodding off. I’m all about that!
I too am on Ritalin can nod during the day but insomniac it took a lot of meds to get one that worked well
Nicole, do your doctors know that you nod off during the day and how often, and about the insomnia? So is Ritalin the med that worked after trying lots of others?
Jazzie, so you see how easy it might be to think my drowsiness was only my ADD/ADHD. What you experience is just like me, but that doesn't mean you have a sleep disorder. If sleep becomes a problem that's when to ask a doctor. I also need more sleep at night than others and when I get it's great!
Jazzie said:
Hi ArtFish,
This is an interesting article and I know for me having ADHD if I don't get enough sleep it makes my symptoms worse. I've alway slept 9 to 12 hours a night. That's pretty normal for me. If I sleep like 4 or 5 hours my attention gets a lot worse I notice and I have a hard time functioning. I think if you don't have ADHD and you don't get enough sleep I agree that you would have symptoms of it. I notice that doing stuff that's boring (boring movie or if I don't understand it) even though I'm rested I'll conk out and fall asleep lol..