The Relationship between Sleep Issues and Children with ADHD

Sleep is crucial for everyone, but especially for children with ADHD. Up to 70% of children with ADHD suffer from problems with their sleep, and almost half of the parents of a child with ADHD say their child has moderate to severe sleep problems. When sleep issues are added to the challenges of ADHD, symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity often become more severe. This makes life harder for them as well as their families

There can be many reasons that your child is not getting a good night’s sleep. Stimulant medication is commonly prescribed to treat ADHD, but one of the most frequently reported side effects of stimulants is insomnia. These medications increase activity in the central nervous system, which can interfere with falling or staying asleep. However, even children with ADHD who do not take stimulants can still suffer from sleep issues. Children with ADHD are at a greater risk of issues such as restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, anxiety, and depression, all of which can affect sleep. 

Common Sleep Problems in Children with ADHD

Difficulty getting child into bed

Children may delay getting into bed, often making excuses or coming up with things that they need to do before bed. This can go on for what seems like hours as they become full of energy and come and go into the bedroom numerous times.

Worries and anxiety at bedtime

Some children might be worrying about school the next day, or they may be anxious about specific nighttime fears (such as being alone in the dark). These anxieties can interfere with their ability to fall asleep.

Insomnia

Many children with ADHD have a difficult time falling asleep or staying asleep through the night. Children with insomnia often wake up early and struggle to return to sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, insomnia is commonly linked to anxiety. Those who are plagued with worry often ruminate about their concerns in bed, and this anxiety at night can keep them from falling asleep.

Delayed sleep phase

This is when the sleep-wake cycle has changed, and the child isn’t sleepy until it is way past their bedtime. ADHD children often have a delayed sleep phase. Then they are difficult to wake up, and the child wants to sleep in the next day, often leading to morning frustrations and a child being tardy to school or the parent being late to work.

Sleep associations

Often children (of all ages) feel the need for a particular item to fall asleep at night. This could be anything from watching TV to having a specific item, such as a stuffed animal or blanket, or needing someone to lie with them to help them fall asleep.

How Poor Sleep Impacts ADHD Symptoms   

As a parent with a child who has ADHD, you may notice that your child has problems falling asleep, staying asleep or sleeping through the night. They may be difficult to wake up in the morning and seem grumpy or overtired. With ADHD, if you’re tired, your symptoms can get worse, making it more challenging to get through the day and harder to sleep the next night. This cycle can lead to frustration for the entire family as it becomes a daily struggle to wake your child, get them ready, and get them to school on time. 

Parents play an important role in helping to make sure their kids are getting adequate sleep each night. There is a big difference between what a child or teenager thinks is enough sleep and what they actually “need” to function and perform at their best. Let’s face it, if it were up to the kids, they wouldn’t have bedtimes.

Sleep Requirements for Kids and Teenagers

• Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10 to 13 hours
• School-age kids (6-13 years): 9 to 11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17 years): 8 to 10 hours

A National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll found that over 45% of adolescents in the United States obtained inadequate sleep, with 73% percent of U.S. high school students getting less than the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep on school nights. A consistent lack of sleep can have negative effects on physical and mental health, along with reduced academic performance for kids of any age. Whether your child is in grade school, middle school, or high school, it is important that they are getting the necessary sleep to stay mentally and physically healthy, function and perform at their best.

How to Improve Sleep for Children with ADHD

Children with ADHD who get consistent and adequate sleep are more likely to have improvement in attention, focus and energy. There are numerous steps you can take to try to help your ADHD child get a better night’s sleep, without the use of medication. It starts with the bedtime routine and a consistent sleep and wake schedule. Brain training is another method to regulate your child’s brain and can help them fall asleep faster and sleep longer.

Establish a Calming Bedtime Routine

The bedtime routine should start an hour or two before bed. During this time, you want to start to dim the lights and create a calm and relaxing environment for your child. Having a regular schedule with dim lights and a calm environment helps regulate your child’s circadian rhythm, which dictates when they feel sleepy or awake.

Recommended Pre-Bedtime Activities

• Dinner 3-4 hours before bed – it generally takes about four hours for our body to digest a meal. Small healthy snacks are ok a couple of hours before bed, but stay clear of caffeine and sugar, such as chocolate and soda.
• Avoid screentime 1-2 hours before bed – this includes computers, phones, TV, tablets, and gaming. Electronic devices emit blue light and stop the natural production of melatonin, the chemical that lets your child’s brain know it’s time to go to sleep. If your child is accustomed to using screens right up until they go to sleep, try reducing the screentime in 15-minute increments each night. For example, reduce their screen time 15 minutes before bedtime, then 30 minutes, and so on. Switch out your child’s phone or tablet for a book or an audiobook. You will notice a significant difference in how much faster they will drift off to sleep.
• Bath/Shower & brush teeth 1 hour before bed – a hot bath or shower will relax the muscles, soothe the mind, and indicate to the body its nearing sleep time (if done consistently). Brushing teeth is not only good oral hygiene, but also helps your child realize that eating is done for the night.  

Optimize the Bedroom Environment for Sleep

Keep your child’s bedroom cool and dark (a dim nightlight is ok). Kids with ADHD may have sensory issues and often have sensitive hearing, especially at bedtime. Use white noise or sounds of nature to block household noise. A fan in the background or an app that offers different sound options may do the trick.

Set a Consistent Sleep and Wake Schedule

Keep the same schedule every day—including weekends, if possible. Start with your child’s required wake-up time and work backward to establish an appropriate bedtime. Consistency is key. Sending your child to bed too early may result in restlessness, while sending them to bed too late can leave them overtired.

Using Brain Training to Improve Sleep and ADHD Symptoms

Brain training, or EEG biofeedback (also known as neurofeedback), is a safe, natural approach that helps regulate brain activity without medication. At Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback, we’ve seen many children and teens experience improvements in both sleep quality and ADHD symptoms through this personalized, non-invasive therapy. 

Neurofeedback works by teaching the brain to produce more organized, stable brainwave patterns. This can help your child fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling more refreshed, while also supporting better focus, emotional regulation, and behavior during the day.

Feedback from our clients has been incredibly positive. Pamela Downey, MS, LMHC, Founder of Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback, notes, “We’ve received more calls this year about sleep issues and ADHD than ever before. Parents are often surprised to hear their child is sleeping better after just a few sessions of brain training. Most people don’t realize all the benefits of neurofeedback.”

In fact, 60% of our clients report noticeable improvement after five sessions, and nearly 75% after ten. The American Academy of Pediatrics has given neurofeedback a Level 1 effectiveness rating for treating ADHD—the same as medication—making it a powerful and lasting alternative without the side effects.

Neurofeedback Helps Adults Too

 Neurofeedback isn’t just for kids. Adults struggling with insomnia, daytime fatigue, or attention-related challenges can also benefit from brain training. Whether you’re trying to manage chronic sleep problems or symptoms of adult ADHD, neurofeedback can help your brain reset and self-regulate, leading to more restful sleep and better cognitive performance.

Explore more about how neurofeedback supports:

• Sleep Improvement for Any Age
• How Neurofeedback Helps ADHD in Adults and Children
• ADHD Support at Any Age
• And much more

Call Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback Today

We’d love to help you or your child with sleep issues and ADHD symptoms. Call our Pensacola office at 850-779-8712 or our Fort Walton Beach office at 850-761-0170 to get started.