Tips for getting a child with ADHD to sleep?

Doubletrouble12

My SD has trouble every night winding down when it's time for bed.  Even if there's no tv before bed she lays in 

there for at least a half hour to hour making noises, throwing her pillow up and down, talking.,etc...

Have you found anything that works well for for your child?  

ppants

We usually have no screen time at least 2 hours before bed.  No video games, ipad, tv, etc.  DS takes a bit to fall asleep.  He will talk to himself, but it's usually pretty quiet.  When my twins were younger, I tried putting them to bed at a more typical bedtime (they've always gone to bed early/needed sleep).  It still took them time to unwind before sleeping.  I think for some, it just takes a bit.  I've heard epsom salt/magnesium helps aid sleepiness, but I've never tried it. 

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redpeacoat

If my son is having a hard time getting to sleep, we try some deep breathing, visualization techniques. He takes a kids yoga class that helps him calm himself when the anxiety gets tough, which is usually at night. He also eats a healthy late night snack to fill him up.

malcivar

Our son had the same problem.  We did melatonin - for a while - and it worked.  It wouldn't knock him out and it wouldn't ensure a whole night's sleep but it definitely helped him wind down.  We did it for a couple of months, then he didn't need it anymore, but yeah I know what you're going through.  Every night was a 1-2 hr struggle to get him to go to bed.

Good luck.

shunt1983

Melatonin

kleighly713

I don't necessarily agree with giving your child Melatonin, but my DS is almost 9 with ADHD. I think the key is consistency every night and no electronics about an hour or more before bedtime. I have some nights where is is too wired to go to sleep at bedtime, but normally he is out by 9pm. He knows it is his bedtime and after months and years of consistency, he doesn't fight it anymore and is out in like 5 minutes. Good luck! I remember when he was 2/3 and sometimes I would have him sleep with me so I could go to sleep, but I regret that because it was so hard to break him wanting to sleep in my bed! Ha