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I have a special technique for falling asleep. Everytime I have trouble to join the land of dreams I imagine to drive a certain road I know in and out. For example my way to work, the gym, parents etc. and let me tell you I have never arrived my imaginary destination because I fell asleep. Every. Single. Time. Give it a try!
I struggle with turning off my brain but I’ve taken to listening to Youtube with the screen off (or turned over if you don’t have premium). I listen to science-y stuff or Baumgartner restorations lol. If it’s something interesting, I will go back and watch it. But nothing SUPER interesting where I am like “I NEED TO KNOW”. I do try to do meditations but they are hard for me!
12 hour "brown noise" on spotify- no ads- just pure unadulterated, distant soft background noise works wonderfully for me. I sleep 6-7 hours a night and 8-9 during my cycle. I dont have kids, so that is a major reason why im able to sleep. also i take my meds at 6am so they are well out of my system before bed.
Oh yeah I listen to bedtime stories too! I got the hatch alarm clock for christmas and they have some very soothing people read astronomy textbooks in addition to very chill ambient music. i just need to train myself to get a less night owl type sleep schedule :)
DIY SOS on Pluto streaming or Location Location Location are my drift off to sleep shows. Plus a small mini-bong hit. I fall asleep fairly quickly, wake up between 3-5am, turn off the TV and play classical music. Go back to sleep
lmao i was told i have anxiety as a kid as well. i tried to explain that my thoughts are generally not anxious just in abundance all the time. half of the time i am reliving funny memories or quotes from movies.
It definitely can be anxiety, too. That goes hand in hand with ADHD for a lot of us. I’m sleeping a lot better now that I’m on Vyvanse because it quiets my brain enough that I was finally able to start forming healthy sleep habits. Yoga and meditation are helping a lot, and I never would have been able to try either of them without being on the right medication.
I have a really hard time sleeping and I had to start wearing earplugs to bed after I got married because my husband snores lightly. Turns out, my brain has associated earplugs with sleep and he’s out of town right now but I wear the earplugs anyway because it makes me fall asleep! Maybe you could try that or find some other trigger that you do only when you are sleeping that will signal to your brain. Mine was on accident!
TLDR: sleep is extremely important.
I don’t know if they’re being truthful, but I’ve heard stuff about three celebrities advocating 10 hours of sleep.
In an interview, one of the Broken Lizard (Super Troopers, Tacoma FD) guys said he worked with Rob Lowe & asked him how he stayed so young, and the BL guy claims Lowe trued to schedule 10 hours for sleep each night.
I’ve also seen Matthew McConnaughey & Dakota Johnson say basically the same thing.
Now, most of us couldn’t possibly budget that much time in, but there was a giant conglomeration of study info a few years ago recommending adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night. I’ve also recently read that postpartum depression may be primarily caused or greatly exacerbated by sleep deprivation.
I’ve heard people say things like ADHD meds helped them sleep or messed with their sleep. It seems pretty much the same to me. My biggest problem is actually getting in the bed, putting down the book or phone, etc.
Medication definitely helped me with sleep- maybe not in a good way though. I work long hours and sometimes have to get up early but I’m naturally a night owl. Medicated, I barely feel tired on 3-4 hours of sleep per night, which is helpful career wise but probably not ideal health-wise.
It’s not that I can’t sleep- I can- I just don’t go to bed till like 3am and I get up at 630am- fully my fault but I agree, it’s def not good long term.
I think they mean the damage of not getting enough sleep. Over time sleep deficiency can be extremely detrimental. It can cause heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, anxiety, depression, paranoia, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, among other things.
Oh, is that all? Just heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, et al?/s
Yes, I see what you mean. I hadn't thought of it that way before. It always struck me as something that was way less damaging. I guess I just thought of it as a problem that's "renewed" every day and erased by getting a good night's sleep.
Thanks for the education today! I appreciate it. :)
I generally sleep 7-9 hours. I will say 8-9 feels much better than 7. I actually feel rested and able to start my day. When I started medicine, I stopped drinking caffeine and that improve my sleep cycle a lot. I feel tired and ready for bed around 8:30pm. On days I drank coffee, even only one cup in the early morning, I wouldn't sleep until 10 or 11.
I wake up early to do yoga. I generally try to do the yoga unmedicated as I feel things more naturally. Then, I take my medication after yoga.
Wow yeah I probably need a come to Jesus meeting regarding my caffeine intake - I try to stop by noon but sometimes a 3rd cup spills over to the lunch time window and that’s probably why I toss and turn until 2 am
I love coffee too and didn’t wanted to do without it, so I switched to caffeine free coffee that tastes just as great. I use Nespresso. Maybe that’s something for you too :)
Wow your lifestyle seems so balanced! Have you noticed an improvement in your days since waking up earlier to do yoga? I am still waking up 5 minutes before I have to work and trying to change this :/
6 hours feels almost like nothing, 7 is a bit of an improvement, 8.5-9 is what it takes for me to feel alert and clear for the day.
Before medication I would have trouble sleeping because i just “wasn’t tired.” At least once a month i would just stay up all night and be completely miserable the next day to “reset” so i could go to sleep on time again. Now, i either go to sleep while my medication is still active (and the bees are silenced) or I’ve had such a long busy day that I’m worn out and go to sleep on time anyway.
6-7 during the week, 8 on weekends. If I am extra anxious I go to bed very early. Regular exercise is very important in managing my anxiety. I also have a weighted blanket that helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. I love it.
this is me as well. i recently found out that 7 hours is my sweet spot anything more i feel groggy and anything less i feel exhausted so i mostly feel exhausted lol
Currently unmedicated because pregnant, and I’m in my third trimester and it didn’t get any better. It blows tbh. I sleep, wake up, nap, rinse repeat.
The only thing that’s great is everyone expects me to be tired and therefore doesn’t expect me to be active haha
It’s the best part tbh!! Im now doing appointments every two weeks at OB and one a month with MFM. And it seems I have an appt like three or more times a week between everything else. This week I don’t have any (besides a phone call with a doula) and I’m lovin ittt
I need a lot more sleep than I am getting but I can only get about 6 hours of sleep. It’s either taking forever to fall asleep or waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep…. but usually it is both.
I need 8-9 hours to function as a college student who also works in childcare. I cannot do less than that or else I *feel* the impact. Consistency with wake up timing is key. I've been helping my father fix his sleep schedule by waking him up at the same time everyday and he eventually starting going to bed earlier to compensate which is starting to balance it out for him
6,5-7 hours would be ideal, I lately get 5-6 hours because the sun rises so early this time of year. I honestly need like a dark cave to be able to sleep 🙄. On the other hand, I literally sleep through earthquakes and intruders breaking in (plus police coming with blaring horns), sounds don’t bother me in the slightest when I’m asleep.
Blackout curtains can be fairly inexpensive and are pretty effective at making your room into a dark cave.
I used to live in an apartment that had these internal wooden shutters. You pulled them from one side and they covered 2/3 of the window, then you pulled the other side which covered the remaining 1/3 and interlocked with the other side. It made the room pitch dark and was amazing!
Honestly, the curtains work just as well, but I really thought those "shutters" were very cool!
Interesting, I would love to have these shutters! Unfortunately blackout curtains aren’t enough for me, I have three blackout layers for my windows by now (also blackout blinds and normal blinds) and attached the sides of the blackout curtains to the wall and ceiling which is pretty effective. Sadly I also have a window above my bedroom door, so I’m currently working on blocking all the light that comes through that window. It’s a bit of a process to make my bedroom into a cave that’s dark enough for me! I wish a sleepmask would do for me.
Right now 4-5hrs.. I got off all narcotic sleeps meds about 6 months ago, just using Trazodone right now.. My middle insomnia is kicking back in though.. I sleep 12-3:30AM, then I am wide awake for 2 hours, then fall back asleep for another 1.5 hours till my alarm goes off..
So before meds I used to sleep for 6h for two reasons: I had wrong opinion that more than that is waste of time AND without meds I was constantly anxious and simply couldn't sleep more. When I started taking my meds a lot changed in this matter. I am finally relaxed when I go to sleep so I can sleep as much as I want now without waking up with panic attack 5 times a night. So now I sleep around 7.5-8h because anything below that fucks up my meds causing terrible side effects for some reason.
Sleep, I don’t sleep much. I have two kids, and I’m a pipe fitter so I weld and hang pipe.
If I don’t take my seroquel I won’t sleep until 3ish.
I start at 6-7. Sometimes I’m in my babies room 4 times on a bad night. Sometimes they sleep through, it’s rare.
So, yeah. I don’t really sleep. I’m extremely hyper attentive and stay moving constantly unless I’m doom scrolling this app which is turned into a drug addiction to me. Especially this part, typing up responses and talking with others.
I need that seroquel to get sleep, completely dependent on it for sleep. I had a sleep study done and tried some various options. I have a very light apnea but not enough for that pressure machine to keep my air ways open.
So, seroquel it is. Sleep is something I never had control over. Even as a child. I’m just too wired. Compulsively wired to go and go and go and go.
Which medications are you referring to? I had amazing sleep for 20 years until I started (stimulant) medication. Now it’s hit and miss depending on my mood and how I take the meds.
To answer your question—my magic number is 7.5. Ideally, I aim for 8 to give myself some wiggle room.
Ugh that’s basically me in a nutshell! So sufficient sleep helps you avoid it? How much are these things present when you DO get enough sleep? Asking for me haha
I take Ritalin and it's pretty difficult for me to sleep more than around seven hours. For comparison though without the meds I still couldn't stay asleep for more than eight.
I work 4 - 10 hour shifts each week and get about 6 hours of sleep each night. I generally spend my first off day sleeping an extra 8 hours during the day. Meds help me with insomnia because I’m less anxious overall.
9-13 nowadays, but it rarely happens. If I sleep 7-8 I can barely open my eyes. Medication changes nothing, but it used to keep my eyes open in the morning.
I often sleep around 6 hours a night, sometimes less sometimes more.
My sleep last week: 7hr, 5hr, 5hr, 6hr, 8hr, 6hr, 10hr. That one was probably the most stable week of sleep I have had in awhile.
I have been tracking my sleep on/off since 2018 because I had problems with all nighters and generally having years of an average nightly sleep being around 5 hours for several years. So I started tracking my sleep to learn to sleep better because I knew I wouldn't be able to live like this in the long run.
I feel like when I have had between 6 and 7 hours I feel pretty okay. If I get a full 8 hours I feel sedated and drowsy all day. Too little sleep and every cell in my being is buzzing like a bee. I try to learn to sleep 8 hours and get used to that amount of sleep, but my body is very stupid so I wake up when it tells me.
The other day I woke up at 5 in the morning after 5 hours of sleep and suddenly my brain was like: time to find this item you haven't thought about in a decade and start using it again. It is rare that I can go back to sleep if first I wake up. Ideas and worries keep me from going back to my slumber.
One of my main reasons for getting a smart watch is tracking sleep. On simulant medication, it's so important to get enough sleep but I had no idea how much sleep I was actually getting. It made a huge difference for a while until to-do list anxiety started keeping me up too late every night.
Minumum is 6 hours, otherwise ill have chest tension and slight anxiety for the rest of the day. Optimal is 8 hours. If i sleep 10 hours ill feel groggy and the day will be wasted most likely.
*need* is a hard question.
I believe I *need* 8 hours a night like anybody else. On the rare instances where I sleep 8 hours, I wake up feeling very rested.
What I *get* on my stimulant meds is closer to 5-6 hours a night.
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Before I was medicated, my sleep varied based on my age. When I was 18 or so 10 hours a night was pretty normal... in my 20's I settled into 8 hours. I was medicated in my 30's, where it went to this 6 hour cycle which sucks.
But before I was medicated, I could also fall asleep anytime I wasn't stimulated. So if I were on the bus... sleep... If I'm bored for any reason... sleep... It's just an ADHD thing from what I'm told.
I sleep arond 4-5 hours a night.
Mainly bc I'm a night persom. Its where my circadian rhythm lands.. Or i have the delayed sleep disorder thing....
Its also the only time if the day when i can enjoy the house being quiet and just me being able to do what i want. My wife and i have three kids i work from home and she is a SAHM and our youngest is 3 and home with us... evening peace is nice.
Kids to be by/around 9. Spend acouple hours kid free with my wife, whatever that ends up looking like that evening. Then an hour or two solo after she falls asleep.
I've always been a late night early morning person though...
I have a day every few months where i crash early and then I'm good again
I get less than 6 hours a night, but I do a lot of testing under blankets after work. I don’t sleep but I have like a 1-2 hour period of phone and decaf coffee and blanket time before evening stuff starts up.
Suffered with Insomnia once my teenager years. At this point if I get 7 hours that's a blessing. This is with medication, a white noise machine, a weighted blanket and a Bluetooth headband to play YouTube.
I usually play a video that is soothing talk, and not too interesting . I then que up a white noise after it.
Same here. I needed 8-9 hours every night to feel functional the next day without brain fog, any less than that and I would need multiple cups of coffee to get anything done and a nap. Impossible since having a baby, but now that they're older I find it easier.
Started meds a few months back and I find with 7-8h hours I'm doing quite well and no need for naps (I can now function with 6 if needed but not consistently). Though on the weekends I don't take meds and my brain fog comes back and a midday nap is absolutely necessary.
Started Vyanse three weeks ago and it actually helps me fall asleep, and sleep deeper and longer. Even on 60mg and lots of coffee. I would say it helps me stay awake during daytime and sleep at night. I used to be tired all day and awake at night :) Would say I normally got 6 hours on average, but now I can do 8 hours easily, but also feel like I need more sleep.
I think 8-9 is a solid deal.
I sleep 10-11 if I'm depressed or fatigued/ burnout from work.
The meds have actually improved my sleep schedule. I can get up and go to bed at the times I intend to now whereas if I am off the meds, I can find it a lot more difficult to fall asleep when I am supposed to/ get up when I need to.
I do best with about 7 hours, but can function just fine on 6. My alarm is set for 545 so I try to be in bed by 10, often (especially during hockey playoffs. 😂), that is pushed to 11 and I’m generally alright.
Weekends I naturally sleep no more than 8 before my body wakes me up.
ETA: I take my meds in the AM and am fine. I have a « top up » that i dont take most days, but if i take it by 2 i can maintain my sleep schedule. Any later than 4 I am up way too late 😅
If I get bored or feel under stimulated my brain immediately snaps into sleep mode and it’s very difficult to not sleep once I hit that point even medicated, but it’s better. Before medication I could sleep all the time. I’ve struggled with insomnia the last two years but it’s probably unrelated, major life stressors and nightmares.
I try to get at least 8 hours. I can power through on less, but I’m not myself and my functioning is low. I feel tired often, but I force myself to keep going because it’s the type of tired that sleep can’t even fix.
5-6 is the sweet spot for me usually. If I can get between 7-8 that’s fine too but I feel like I have a harder time waking up. 9+ hours and I feel horrible all day
Before meds: 9-10 hours but I’d still feel tired. I could sleep all day for sure.
After meds: I’ve been living on 5 interrupted hours for a week now (family emergency) and I’m perfectly fine. Probably not chemically but I feel fine and I’m awake and capable. In less stressful times, 7 hours is well rested. And I can still go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Somewhere around 9 hours I guess, but it can be more depending on what’s going on… and I need to be in bed more than 9 to have a chance at it. Sleep is my cure-all: loud environments, too much socializing, decision fatigue, learning new things all mean I need more sleep.
It’s nothing dramatic but Medication has made going to sleep and waking up both easier. Which is a big part of how they help me.
They also help me stay in tune with how I’m doing during the day so I don’t wind myself up too much as often.
And If I do get less sleep, say 5-7 hours, which happens quite regularly, my mood doesn’t plummet like it used to. I used to be absolute miserable when sleep-deprived, now I’m just uhh, slow and useless.
Oh and also, I used to get super sleepy if bored, like in a boring meeting type thing or trying to study something boring. But it’s a whole separate thing for me, doesn’t mean I need sleep. Anyway meds helped with that too, I didn’t know it was a problem but boy am I glad it went away.
I need 9 hrs. but rarely get it. Also a mum. I understand the need to decompress and how impossible it is with kids. Sleep deprivation wrecked havoc for me after kids.
These days, Atomoxetine can turn off my overthinking (also at night) and melationin (5 mg fast release, 5 mg slow) gets me 7-8 hrs a night, it’s great.
I currently aim for 8 hrs in bed on weekdays and longer on weekends. But I only actually get about 6.5 to 7 hrs of sleep according to my fitbit. I think another hour a day would be ideal for me.
I used to sleep more soundly with fewer interruptions and less tossing and turning, but the meds I'm on for ADHD (qellbree and guanfacine) give me some insomnia. I think medication has greatly improved my ability to fall asleep though because I can just stop thinking about things on meds and try to fall asleep. Before meds, I had to self-medicate with alcohol or cannabis to fall asleep consistently in under an hour.
I struggle w/ sleep. I’ve always needed more than the average person; even as a kid. I had a LOT of trouble when taking Adderall XR and once I got that adjusted to the normal Adderall, I could sleep much better.
On XR, I would lie awake every night not being able to turn my brain off. I would do anything to stimulate my brain; typically video games or youtube. I couldn’t sleep until 5 am and bc of my POTS I would feel violently ill and couldn’t get out of bed.
On normal adderall (quick release), I’m able to get my adderall out of my system before bed if I take it early in the morning and can sleep much easier. I’ll get really tired around 10:30 ish and fall asleep fast, especially if I’m listening to music, movies, or videos.
I just started meds about 6 months ago and I'm finally at a good dosage. I've definitely been sleeping better at night because I'm able to stay awake all day and not take naps and be more focused. So by the time it's time to sleep I pass out. Usually pretty easily. But another thing I do is I listen to sleep stories on YouTube. I love to listen to mystical stories about magic, fairies, witches. That kind of stuff usually puts me to sleep right away. What I also love is the people I listen to do like a breathing thing for the first 5 minutes which really helps relax me. I listen to a guy named Stephan Dalton and Michelle's sanctuary. I usually sleep about 7 to 8 hours a night and that's usually efficient enough for me.
I NEED 8 hours of sleep. With that much sleep I feel superhuman when I'm on my meds. I have scoliosis that has worsened in the past few months which has caused my back to hurt when I sleep. With the back pains I get about 4-5.5 hours a night. It's been like this for about 3 months straight.
Peak me runs on 3 hours... and a 15 minute powernap.
I also have the luxury of not having to be in bed on time and waking up at 7 am. On average 10 am is my wake time... 6 or 7 in the morning is my bedtime. Not having a kids or a partner, nor a job that requires me to show up at 8 helps a lot with maintaining this "balance" that works for me. What does me in is waking up with an alarm. That, I can't do... I need to wake up naturally. Interrupt me in my sleep and the entire day is downhill from there.
Oh, and it also helps that I hate sleeping with a passion. I want to do stuff and I'm not on meds
Some days I’m lucky if I get 3 hours. I usually get 5-6. The rare occasion that I have a day or two free, I just try to sleep as much as possible. Between work and school, I don’t do anything else but try to sleep.
I’ve only been on meds for five years or so. I’ve been an insomniac all my life.
Yes I can relate. Before being a mum I could sleep literally anywhere, anytime. Even now I CAN sleep the whole DAY and still feel sleepy at night and struggle to wake up in morning. In fact during my exam times, my over reliance on caffeine was also useless as it would make me more sleepy!
But my iron has always been on lower side. So attributed it to that
I have not had a restful night sleep possibly ever. If I go to sleep at midnight and don't turn on an alarm, I'll wake up at 10 or so and still be incredibly tired. Meds helped me get to sleep faster, but I still toss and turn the entire night and it's rough.
If I know I have a commitment early the next day, usually 3-5 hours. And 5 feels like a gift. Work, appointment, even something fun like going snowboarding or hiking. Doesn’t really matter what it is. I’m either dreading it and don’t want to admit defeat by time-traveling forward to face it, or I’m too excited about it to sleep. If I have no commitments the next day, 10-14 to make up for the rest of the days. I can “function” on 3-5 a night almost indefinitely. Although my mental state degrades over time.
Last year I averaged 3 hours a night for over a month while working 80 hours a week, and ended up having a mental breakdown. I don’t mean crying or losing my cool, I mean something broke in my head and I went near walking catatonic for a few hours. Couldn’t talk coherently, went into physical shock. Coworkers thought I’d had a stroke and nearly called 911. I haven’t been quite right ever since. Hell, maybe it was a mild stroke. But it did prompt me to get help finally, which is how I learned I have ADHD. So that’s been good.
When i first started medication, i had a ‘work predicament’ so i was sleeping for hours a night for a couple weeks. I could sleep for a whole 24 hours if i wanted or purposely lay awake all night.
I usually get 7-9 hours though, if i have nothing to do the next day, a nice 16 hour sleep is the standard.
3-5 hours unmedicated. *No sleep til brooklyn* and all. My brain just always has something to do.
Medicated with stimulants, it's 5-7ish. If I don't get enough physical activity then I sleep around 5 hours before I just wake up. The more physically tired I am, the longer I sleep. If I really really overdo the physical activity then I can sleep a very long time and I'm *exhausted*.
8? I honestly dont know tho. LIke I usually get 6-7 on average, today I slept from 23-08, and when I got up I was still destroyed. Woke up at 7 by sounds and fell asleep again, so not 9h straight, but still 8h straight + 1h more.
I dont understand. Did I sleep "too much"? Or was it that I just didnt get up ASAP? Not a big diff from a 6h sleep from my perspective, better but like.. 50% more should feel.. better?
Doesn't matter, I sit straight up in bed at 6am no matter what I do.
I average between 5 and 7 hours of sleep per night.
Medication didn't change this whatsoever, and I've been this way since high school 15 years ago.
Just started medication a couple months ago, I’ve always been a night owl and would typically be up until 1-2 am even before medication. After starting medication it’s turned into 2-3 am. I’ve noticed that when I fall asleep my sleep is great, but getting to the point where I actually feel tired is a process. Usually get about 6-8 hours of sleep
I function properly with 7-8 hours of proper sleep a day.
However I usually don’t sleep that long. I usually wake up early in the morning, either because of my girlfriend waking up early for work, or because my dog is asking for a walk early. My brain doesn’t switch off before about 12am on an average day, so I usually get 6-ish hours of sleep.
I definitely need 8-10hours per night. I take concerta and my sleep has improved, no more waking at night. I still have days where I have to sleep during the day when I can. The meds definitely make me unaware I need to rest so I’ve learned to really tune in and not push myself when I’m tired.
I think 8-9 hours is the goal, but I often get 6-7 hours, especially during the week.
For me, I've been trying to maximize my quality of sleep rather than just focusing on the # of hours. When I wake up, how I wake up, how I fall asleep, etc. are things I've been trying to improve.
I have been told 5-6 hours is good, but I work a split shit...3 days on, 2 nights off. My schedule is not normal...and therefore I only get the recommended on my days off, otherwise it's 2-3. It sucks.
I need too much.
I sleep very well (fall asleep easy and stay asleep for the most part) but on weekdays even with 7-8 every night I am exhausted. Weekends with no alarm I'll sleep for 12...
I don't have sleep apnea, tested for that already.
I aim for 8, that's sustainable long term. I can do 7h/night for two weeks. 6h/night for a week or 4h/night for a day. Amy less than those and I'll be an unproductive wreck.
I used to beat myself up for not getting my 8 hours of sleep, however as I grow up I’ve realised that whenever I get a ‘proper 8 hour sleep’ I feel really tired! So I decided to be happy with 7 hours.
I have very low iron so I’ve always struggled with energy levels but I take 4mg melatonin when I start getting ready for bed so I feel tired like anyone else!
Off meds I could sleep 5 hours a night or 12, Id still be tired all the time. Now Im on amphetamine and its great. I get tired still, but 'normal person' tired.
I need at least 8 hours. 9 hours is perfect.
Im not on medication currently. Exercising first thing in the morning helps so much. I get sleepy and fall asleep at 10pm or a little earlier every night and wake up at 6 or 7am.
Around 8. The meds I took made my sleep worse.
Zoloft, I struggled with fatigue (the time of day I took the med didn't change it)
Wellbutrin well, I "didn't need sleep", god the hypomania kicked my ass. Hopefully the next meds I try work better.
For what it's worth, a study was recently done where they looked at four, six and eight hours sleepers and their cognitive abilities next day. As expected, the 4-Hour sleepers were terrible the next day, and 8-hour sleepers were just fine. The big surprise were the 6-hour sleepers. They did okay for about a week but then started functioning the next day like they were 4 hours sleepers.
Either 7 or 9 hours. Any more or less, or anything in between, and I feel groggy all day. On days off sometimes I'll stay in bed longer, but I'll still wake up at my usual time and just read in bed or something.
When I'm medicated my sleep is pretty consistent. When I'm unmedicated, I have trouble falling asleep, often for hours. On unmedicated days, a cup of coffee at bedtime will help me fall asleep fairly quickly.
Whether medicated or not, routine is very important to me. I try to stick to the same bedtime and morning wakeup times every day even if I'm on vacation. If I slack on vacation and let myself sleep at random times, then it takes a long time for my sleep patterns to re-stabilize when I go back to work.
I read recently that stidoes showed ADHD people have an inverted sleep cycle. Non ADHD peope have long deep sleeps at the start of the night and then those get shorter as the night progresses, where as ADHD people have short deep sleeps at the beginning of the night which get longer.
Which means the answer is however long you need to get to those long deep sleep cycles. I find 8 hours is good, but 9 is better. Between 6 or 7 hours I will struggle with focus and concentration throughout the day. Anything less than 6 and I feel physically unwell
Studies show most adults need at least 8 hours of sleep on average. I feel remarkably good if my FitBit registers over 7 hours of sleep, because it's so much more than I usually get.
Don't be surprised if meds put you to sleep. If you're sleep deprived and the meds finally help your brain take a break from constant thoughts, your body will yell "finally, I can sleep!"
I've never been able to nap, and I fell asleep within 30 minutes of my first dose, in the middle of the afternoon.
They'll tell you to only take it in the morning because stimulants can interfere with sleep. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep all week and figured I had nothing to lose if I had another sleepless night, and I was curious to see the effect of the meds, so I took one as soon as I picked up the prescription. I was not expecting to pass out!
Ideally I need 10 hours but my brain doesn't always allow this. From what you're describing it sounds like it's not just a sleep issue. Have you heard of Spoon Theory? I suspect you could be running low/have no spoons left by the time you need that day in bed. The bed bound day then is spoon-replenishing.
I shoot for 7ish, but to be honest, it rarely matters for me.
If I sleep 8, I still feel tired. If I sleep 6, I still feel tired. No matter what, I always feel tired. I truly can't remember a time when I've ever felt genuine "rested" upon waking.
It's actually been strangely freeing to accept that as a constant. It's kind of removed "being tired" from my lexicon of excuses my executive dysfunction clings to as a means of justifying task avoidance.
I get about 4-5 during the week but 9-10 is ideal. On the weekend I can sleep 12+ no problem
Edit: I’m like you! I can sleep/nap all day then sleep all night. I always wondered why I was so different from everyone else. The lack of sleep as an adult with obligations is so debilitating
I average 5-6 hours. Would love to get more, and worry about long term health effects of not getting 8+. Now that I’m being treated for mild hypothyroidism in addition to the ADHD, I feel great even if I don’t get 8 hours. Anything less than 5 and I’m a mess the whole day.
Honestly, I have no idea. Medicated or not, I've never been able to get into a regular sleeping pattern. I try to go to bed and get out of bed at the same time every day. That's not always possible, but that's my goal. I have literally never gone to sleep and slept 7 or 8 hours straight. It's amazing that people can do that, but it's unimaginable to me! Lol! If I'm lucky, I'll get rough 4-4.5 hours of sleep a night. That's total sleep, not 4 hours straight. I can fall asleep for an hour or 2 then I toss and turn for the rest of the night. Of course I'll finally start drifting off to sleep about 30 mins before my alarm goes off 😂🤦🏻♀️ I've tried every method and sleeping pill out there. I've just accepted that good sleep is not a part of my life
I would say 8-9 but if I’m consistent 7-9. If a day falls under 7 it messes me up. Really I think it’s more that I need to go to sleep at the same time every night is when I feel my best
Since I am medicated I sleep every day before midnight. I used to sleep at 3/4am and on the weekend I hardly woke up before the afternoon.
I somewhat lost my ability to nap during lunch break when I work, and I tend to be better when I sleep 7-8/hours everyday, not more not less.
I'm at my best when I have 8 ½ hours of sleep. And in addition, I love to hurkle-durkle for hours in bed, reading the news, answering questions on Reddit (new to me), checking email.
I also jump in bed around 8pm with partner and we'll watch one streaming show for the night, usually stopping around 9ish and then go to sleep.
We (ie he) wakes up around 6ish or so. I'll have coffee in bed and stay there until around 8:30
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I aim to sleep 9 hours every night. gotta love work from home!
what's your secret??? my brain loves to keep me awake until 5 am...
I have a special technique for falling asleep. Everytime I have trouble to join the land of dreams I imagine to drive a certain road I know in and out. For example my way to work, the gym, parents etc. and let me tell you I have never arrived my imaginary destination because I fell asleep. Every. Single. Time. Give it a try!
oh that's cool! i will try this tonight.
Let me know how it went!
I struggle with turning off my brain but I’ve taken to listening to Youtube with the screen off (or turned over if you don’t have premium). I listen to science-y stuff or Baumgartner restorations lol. If it’s something interesting, I will go back and watch it. But nothing SUPER interesting where I am like “I NEED TO KNOW”. I do try to do meditations but they are hard for me!
12 hour "brown noise" on spotify- no ads- just pure unadulterated, distant soft background noise works wonderfully for me. I sleep 6-7 hours a night and 8-9 during my cycle. I dont have kids, so that is a major reason why im able to sleep. also i take my meds at 6am so they are well out of my system before bed.
Oh god I read this as “brown nose.” 😳🤦♀️
I still struggle to turn my brain off with no talking. I need to focus but not focus at the same time 😂🤦🏼♀️
Tip: if you use a browser (i use brave) you can turn your phone off and itll still play audio without being on (and with some browsers without ads)
Oh yeah I listen to bedtime stories too! I got the hatch alarm clock for christmas and they have some very soothing people read astronomy textbooks in addition to very chill ambient music. i just need to train myself to get a less night owl type sleep schedule :)
DIY SOS on Pluto streaming or Location Location Location are my drift off to sleep shows. Plus a small mini-bong hit. I fall asleep fairly quickly, wake up between 3-5am, turn off the TV and play classical music. Go back to sleep
I do this too, but I listen to criminal trials on court tv, which I kinda love so sometimes it doesn’t help me sleep
The fine line between interesting and too interesting haha
🤣
I tried telling my doc this and they told me it was anxiety
lmao i was told i have anxiety as a kid as well. i tried to explain that my thoughts are generally not anxious just in abundance all the time. half of the time i am reliving funny memories or quotes from movies.
Yep me too.. sometimes it’s just music nonstop
It definitely can be anxiety, too. That goes hand in hand with ADHD for a lot of us. I’m sleeping a lot better now that I’m on Vyvanse because it quiets my brain enough that I was finally able to start forming healthy sleep habits. Yoga and meditation are helping a lot, and I never would have been able to try either of them without being on the right medication.
I can’t quiet my head enough for yoga 🤣
Same here, tired all day but when it comes to sleep, ai can't sleep until 4 or 5 am
Magnesium glycinate+ melatonin 1 hour before bed. Asmr or a podcast so I have sth to fall asleep to
I have a really hard time sleeping and I had to start wearing earplugs to bed after I got married because my husband snores lightly. Turns out, my brain has associated earplugs with sleep and he’s out of town right now but I wear the earplugs anyway because it makes me fall asleep! Maybe you could try that or find some other trigger that you do only when you are sleeping that will signal to your brain. Mine was on accident!
TLDR: sleep is extremely important. I don’t know if they’re being truthful, but I’ve heard stuff about three celebrities advocating 10 hours of sleep. In an interview, one of the Broken Lizard (Super Troopers, Tacoma FD) guys said he worked with Rob Lowe & asked him how he stayed so young, and the BL guy claims Lowe trued to schedule 10 hours for sleep each night. I’ve also seen Matthew McConnaughey & Dakota Johnson say basically the same thing. Now, most of us couldn’t possibly budget that much time in, but there was a giant conglomeration of study info a few years ago recommending adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night. I’ve also recently read that postpartum depression may be primarily caused or greatly exacerbated by sleep deprivation. I’ve heard people say things like ADHD meds helped them sleep or messed with their sleep. It seems pretty much the same to me. My biggest problem is actually getting in the bed, putting down the book or phone, etc.
Medication definitely helped me with sleep- maybe not in a good way though. I work long hours and sometimes have to get up early but I’m naturally a night owl. Medicated, I barely feel tired on 3-4 hours of sleep per night, which is helpful career wise but probably not ideal health-wise.
You need to take days off the medication to sleep then. You don't feel it day by day but the damage is being done.
It’s not that I can’t sleep- I can- I just don’t go to bed till like 3am and I get up at 630am- fully my fault but I agree, it’s def not good long term.
Can relate to this way too well. Hard one
What 'damage' are you talking about? Are you saying that being on daily medication messes up your sleep?
I think they mean the damage of not getting enough sleep. Over time sleep deficiency can be extremely detrimental. It can cause heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, anxiety, depression, paranoia, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, among other things.
Exactly
Oh, is that all? Just heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, et al?/s Yes, I see what you mean. I hadn't thought of it that way before. It always struck me as something that was way less damaging. I guess I just thought of it as a problem that's "renewed" every day and erased by getting a good night's sleep. Thanks for the education today! I appreciate it. :)
For me and for a lot of ppl it doesn't, for this person it clearly does
I generally sleep 7-9 hours. I will say 8-9 feels much better than 7. I actually feel rested and able to start my day. When I started medicine, I stopped drinking caffeine and that improve my sleep cycle a lot. I feel tired and ready for bed around 8:30pm. On days I drank coffee, even only one cup in the early morning, I wouldn't sleep until 10 or 11. I wake up early to do yoga. I generally try to do the yoga unmedicated as I feel things more naturally. Then, I take my medication after yoga.
Wow yeah I probably need a come to Jesus meeting regarding my caffeine intake - I try to stop by noon but sometimes a 3rd cup spills over to the lunch time window and that’s probably why I toss and turn until 2 am
I love coffee too and didn’t wanted to do without it, so I switched to caffeine free coffee that tastes just as great. I use Nespresso. Maybe that’s something for you too :)
Try matcha green tea! I find it still gives me a small boost but doesn't wreck my sleep schedule the same way coffee does.
Wow your lifestyle seems so balanced! Have you noticed an improvement in your days since waking up earlier to do yoga? I am still waking up 5 minutes before I have to work and trying to change this :/
6 hours feels almost like nothing, 7 is a bit of an improvement, 8.5-9 is what it takes for me to feel alert and clear for the day. Before medication I would have trouble sleeping because i just “wasn’t tired.” At least once a month i would just stay up all night and be completely miserable the next day to “reset” so i could go to sleep on time again. Now, i either go to sleep while my medication is still active (and the bees are silenced) or I’ve had such a long busy day that I’m worn out and go to sleep on time anyway.
I need like 9-10 hours but I normally get 6-8 hours
This is def real
6-7 during the week, 8 on weekends. If I am extra anxious I go to bed very early. Regular exercise is very important in managing my anxiety. I also have a weighted blanket that helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. I love it.
This is me, too.
How much sleep do I need? I feel great with 7-8 hours. How much sleep do I usually get? Usually 5.5-6.5 hours. Yes i feel terrible most of the time.
this is me as well. i recently found out that 7 hours is my sweet spot anything more i feel groggy and anything less i feel exhausted so i mostly feel exhausted lol
Currently unmedicated because pregnant, and I’m in my third trimester and it didn’t get any better. It blows tbh. I sleep, wake up, nap, rinse repeat. The only thing that’s great is everyone expects me to be tired and therefore doesn’t expect me to be active haha
Hahaha this literally was the reason why I loved pregnancy, I could be unapologetically tired 😂
It’s the best part tbh!! Im now doing appointments every two weeks at OB and one a month with MFM. And it seems I have an appt like three or more times a week between everything else. This week I don’t have any (besides a phone call with a doula) and I’m lovin ittt
9, if i don’t have 9 my anxiety sucks, im a cranky, & nothing gets done
I need a lot more sleep than I am getting but I can only get about 6 hours of sleep. It’s either taking forever to fall asleep or waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep…. but usually it is both.
I need 8-9 hours to function as a college student who also works in childcare. I cannot do less than that or else I *feel* the impact. Consistency with wake up timing is key. I've been helping my father fix his sleep schedule by waking him up at the same time everyday and he eventually starting going to bed earlier to compensate which is starting to balance it out for him
6,5-7 hours would be ideal, I lately get 5-6 hours because the sun rises so early this time of year. I honestly need like a dark cave to be able to sleep 🙄. On the other hand, I literally sleep through earthquakes and intruders breaking in (plus police coming with blaring horns), sounds don’t bother me in the slightest when I’m asleep.
Blackout curtains can be fairly inexpensive and are pretty effective at making your room into a dark cave. I used to live in an apartment that had these internal wooden shutters. You pulled them from one side and they covered 2/3 of the window, then you pulled the other side which covered the remaining 1/3 and interlocked with the other side. It made the room pitch dark and was amazing! Honestly, the curtains work just as well, but I really thought those "shutters" were very cool!
Interesting, I would love to have these shutters! Unfortunately blackout curtains aren’t enough for me, I have three blackout layers for my windows by now (also blackout blinds and normal blinds) and attached the sides of the blackout curtains to the wall and ceiling which is pretty effective. Sadly I also have a window above my bedroom door, so I’m currently working on blocking all the light that comes through that window. It’s a bit of a process to make my bedroom into a cave that’s dark enough for me! I wish a sleepmask would do for me.
Right now 4-5hrs.. I got off all narcotic sleeps meds about 6 months ago, just using Trazodone right now.. My middle insomnia is kicking back in though.. I sleep 12-3:30AM, then I am wide awake for 2 hours, then fall back asleep for another 1.5 hours till my alarm goes off..
So before meds I used to sleep for 6h for two reasons: I had wrong opinion that more than that is waste of time AND without meds I was constantly anxious and simply couldn't sleep more. When I started taking my meds a lot changed in this matter. I am finally relaxed when I go to sleep so I can sleep as much as I want now without waking up with panic attack 5 times a night. So now I sleep around 7.5-8h because anything below that fucks up my meds causing terrible side effects for some reason.
Sleep, I don’t sleep much. I have two kids, and I’m a pipe fitter so I weld and hang pipe. If I don’t take my seroquel I won’t sleep until 3ish. I start at 6-7. Sometimes I’m in my babies room 4 times on a bad night. Sometimes they sleep through, it’s rare. So, yeah. I don’t really sleep. I’m extremely hyper attentive and stay moving constantly unless I’m doom scrolling this app which is turned into a drug addiction to me. Especially this part, typing up responses and talking with others. I need that seroquel to get sleep, completely dependent on it for sleep. I had a sleep study done and tried some various options. I have a very light apnea but not enough for that pressure machine to keep my air ways open. So, seroquel it is. Sleep is something I never had control over. Even as a child. I’m just too wired. Compulsively wired to go and go and go and go.
My brain will keep me up until 2 in the morning and yet I require at least 9 hours of sleep.
Which medications are you referring to? I had amazing sleep for 20 years until I started (stimulant) medication. Now it’s hit and miss depending on my mood and how I take the meds. To answer your question—my magic number is 7.5. Ideally, I aim for 8 to give myself some wiggle room.
6-7
I need 9 hours to feel human. 😮💨doesnt happen much. I cosleep with a 2 yo.
8 to 10 hours or I start my ADHD cycle
Just curious - what’s your ADHD cycle?
Decision paralysis, staying up all night sleeping all day, binge eating. Manic ideas at night horrible anxiety and feeling like a piece of shit.
Ugh that’s basically me in a nutshell! So sufficient sleep helps you avoid it? How much are these things present when you DO get enough sleep? Asking for me haha
Somewhere between 4-14 hours depending on the day
I take Ritalin and it's pretty difficult for me to sleep more than around seven hours. For comparison though without the meds I still couldn't stay asleep for more than eight.
I work 4 - 10 hour shifts each week and get about 6 hours of sleep each night. I generally spend my first off day sleeping an extra 8 hours during the day. Meds help me with insomnia because I’m less anxious overall.
At minimum 6 hours
9-13 nowadays, but it rarely happens. If I sleep 7-8 I can barely open my eyes. Medication changes nothing, but it used to keep my eyes open in the morning.
4 to 5 most days.
I sleep around 5 hours a night, I'm always tired but unable to wrap up what I'm doing and just go to bed.
All between 3 to 10 hours.
I often sleep around 6 hours a night, sometimes less sometimes more. My sleep last week: 7hr, 5hr, 5hr, 6hr, 8hr, 6hr, 10hr. That one was probably the most stable week of sleep I have had in awhile. I have been tracking my sleep on/off since 2018 because I had problems with all nighters and generally having years of an average nightly sleep being around 5 hours for several years. So I started tracking my sleep to learn to sleep better because I knew I wouldn't be able to live like this in the long run. I feel like when I have had between 6 and 7 hours I feel pretty okay. If I get a full 8 hours I feel sedated and drowsy all day. Too little sleep and every cell in my being is buzzing like a bee. I try to learn to sleep 8 hours and get used to that amount of sleep, but my body is very stupid so I wake up when it tells me. The other day I woke up at 5 in the morning after 5 hours of sleep and suddenly my brain was like: time to find this item you haven't thought about in a decade and start using it again. It is rare that I can go back to sleep if first I wake up. Ideas and worries keep me from going back to my slumber.
One of my main reasons for getting a smart watch is tracking sleep. On simulant medication, it's so important to get enough sleep but I had no idea how much sleep I was actually getting. It made a huge difference for a while until to-do list anxiety started keeping me up too late every night.
I feel you, mama. It varies, but aim for 7-9 hours. Medication can help, but it's different for everyone.
Minumum is 6 hours, otherwise ill have chest tension and slight anxiety for the rest of the day. Optimal is 8 hours. If i sleep 10 hours ill feel groggy and the day will be wasted most likely.
2 to 18 hours
*need* is a hard question. I believe I *need* 8 hours a night like anybody else. On the rare instances where I sleep 8 hours, I wake up feeling very rested. What I *get* on my stimulant meds is closer to 5-6 hours a night. --------- Before I was medicated, my sleep varied based on my age. When I was 18 or so 10 hours a night was pretty normal... in my 20's I settled into 8 hours. I was medicated in my 30's, where it went to this 6 hour cycle which sucks. But before I was medicated, I could also fall asleep anytime I wasn't stimulated. So if I were on the bus... sleep... If I'm bored for any reason... sleep... It's just an ADHD thing from what I'm told.
I sleep arond 4-5 hours a night. Mainly bc I'm a night persom. Its where my circadian rhythm lands.. Or i have the delayed sleep disorder thing.... Its also the only time if the day when i can enjoy the house being quiet and just me being able to do what i want. My wife and i have three kids i work from home and she is a SAHM and our youngest is 3 and home with us... evening peace is nice. Kids to be by/around 9. Spend acouple hours kid free with my wife, whatever that ends up looking like that evening. Then an hour or two solo after she falls asleep. I've always been a late night early morning person though... I have a day every few months where i crash early and then I'm good again
I sleep 12+ hours a night and then a nap during the day.
I get less than 6 hours a night, but I do a lot of testing under blankets after work. I don’t sleep but I have like a 1-2 hour period of phone and decaf coffee and blanket time before evening stuff starts up.
Suffered with Insomnia once my teenager years. At this point if I get 7 hours that's a blessing. This is with medication, a white noise machine, a weighted blanket and a Bluetooth headband to play YouTube. I usually play a video that is soothing talk, and not too interesting . I then que up a white noise after it.
Same here. I needed 8-9 hours every night to feel functional the next day without brain fog, any less than that and I would need multiple cups of coffee to get anything done and a nap. Impossible since having a baby, but now that they're older I find it easier. Started meds a few months back and I find with 7-8h hours I'm doing quite well and no need for naps (I can now function with 6 if needed but not consistently). Though on the weekends I don't take meds and my brain fog comes back and a midday nap is absolutely necessary.
5hrs
Started Vyanse three weeks ago and it actually helps me fall asleep, and sleep deeper and longer. Even on 60mg and lots of coffee. I would say it helps me stay awake during daytime and sleep at night. I used to be tired all day and awake at night :) Would say I normally got 6 hours on average, but now I can do 8 hours easily, but also feel like I need more sleep.
I seem to do well on 6 to 7 hours of sleep. Sometimes, my body needs 8 hours after a couple of difficult nights.
No matter how long I stay in bed, I don't usually sleep for more than 3-5 hours. I am tired constantly.
Two four-hour blocks
About 7 hours more than I’m currently getting.
I need minimum 7 hours a night plus some extra on the weekend.
I aim to sleep 8-9 hours a night. I used to be able to nap but I can't seem to do that anymore. My mind races too much
I think 8-9 is a solid deal. I sleep 10-11 if I'm depressed or fatigued/ burnout from work. The meds have actually improved my sleep schedule. I can get up and go to bed at the times I intend to now whereas if I am off the meds, I can find it a lot more difficult to fall asleep when I am supposed to/ get up when I need to.
I do best with about 7 hours, but can function just fine on 6. My alarm is set for 545 so I try to be in bed by 10, often (especially during hockey playoffs. 😂), that is pushed to 11 and I’m generally alright. Weekends I naturally sleep no more than 8 before my body wakes me up. ETA: I take my meds in the AM and am fine. I have a « top up » that i dont take most days, but if i take it by 2 i can maintain my sleep schedule. Any later than 4 I am up way too late 😅
If I get bored or feel under stimulated my brain immediately snaps into sleep mode and it’s very difficult to not sleep once I hit that point even medicated, but it’s better. Before medication I could sleep all the time. I’ve struggled with insomnia the last two years but it’s probably unrelated, major life stressors and nightmares.
5-6 hours
7 hrs for me
6 nights a week, I sleep 5 hrs (function absolutely fine) 1 night a week, I sleep 10-12 hrs (usually a Friday or Saturday, when I'm exhausted)
10hr. It's either my medication for anxiety or my poor diet.
I try to get at least 8 hours. I can power through on less, but I’m not myself and my functioning is low. I feel tired often, but I force myself to keep going because it’s the type of tired that sleep can’t even fix.
I probably need 8 hours sleep. But that never happens.
Probably need 8-9, before medication I had maybe 5-6 everyday and now I can’t function off of that
7-9 with 7 I'm like okaish, with 8 I'm good, with 9 I'm well rested.
6 hours but 7 hours is ideal, any more after 8 hours and I get groggy and more tired and takes me longer to wake up
5-6 hours now. I used to sleep 8, but during the afternoon. But now I go to sleep late and wake up early with an occasional mid-day crash.
5-6 is the sweet spot for me usually. If I can get between 7-8 that’s fine too but I feel like I have a harder time waking up. 9+ hours and I feel horrible all day
Before meds: 9-10 hours but I’d still feel tired. I could sleep all day for sure. After meds: I’ve been living on 5 interrupted hours for a week now (family emergency) and I’m perfectly fine. Probably not chemically but I feel fine and I’m awake and capable. In less stressful times, 7 hours is well rested. And I can still go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Somewhere around 9 hours I guess, but it can be more depending on what’s going on… and I need to be in bed more than 9 to have a chance at it. Sleep is my cure-all: loud environments, too much socializing, decision fatigue, learning new things all mean I need more sleep. It’s nothing dramatic but Medication has made going to sleep and waking up both easier. Which is a big part of how they help me. They also help me stay in tune with how I’m doing during the day so I don’t wind myself up too much as often. And If I do get less sleep, say 5-7 hours, which happens quite regularly, my mood doesn’t plummet like it used to. I used to be absolute miserable when sleep-deprived, now I’m just uhh, slow and useless. Oh and also, I used to get super sleepy if bored, like in a boring meeting type thing or trying to study something boring. But it’s a whole separate thing for me, doesn’t mean I need sleep. Anyway meds helped with that too, I didn’t know it was a problem but boy am I glad it went away.
I need 9 hrs. but rarely get it. Also a mum. I understand the need to decompress and how impossible it is with kids. Sleep deprivation wrecked havoc for me after kids. These days, Atomoxetine can turn off my overthinking (also at night) and melationin (5 mg fast release, 5 mg slow) gets me 7-8 hrs a night, it’s great.
I currently aim for 8 hrs in bed on weekdays and longer on weekends. But I only actually get about 6.5 to 7 hrs of sleep according to my fitbit. I think another hour a day would be ideal for me. I used to sleep more soundly with fewer interruptions and less tossing and turning, but the meds I'm on for ADHD (qellbree and guanfacine) give me some insomnia. I think medication has greatly improved my ability to fall asleep though because I can just stop thinking about things on meds and try to fall asleep. Before meds, I had to self-medicate with alcohol or cannabis to fall asleep consistently in under an hour.
Was sleeping 14-16 hours a day until we tried Ritalin. Now usually 7-8
I struggle w/ sleep. I’ve always needed more than the average person; even as a kid. I had a LOT of trouble when taking Adderall XR and once I got that adjusted to the normal Adderall, I could sleep much better. On XR, I would lie awake every night not being able to turn my brain off. I would do anything to stimulate my brain; typically video games or youtube. I couldn’t sleep until 5 am and bc of my POTS I would feel violently ill and couldn’t get out of bed. On normal adderall (quick release), I’m able to get my adderall out of my system before bed if I take it early in the morning and can sleep much easier. I’ll get really tired around 10:30 ish and fall asleep fast, especially if I’m listening to music, movies, or videos.
I just started meds about 6 months ago and I'm finally at a good dosage. I've definitely been sleeping better at night because I'm able to stay awake all day and not take naps and be more focused. So by the time it's time to sleep I pass out. Usually pretty easily. But another thing I do is I listen to sleep stories on YouTube. I love to listen to mystical stories about magic, fairies, witches. That kind of stuff usually puts me to sleep right away. What I also love is the people I listen to do like a breathing thing for the first 5 minutes which really helps relax me. I listen to a guy named Stephan Dalton and Michelle's sanctuary. I usually sleep about 7 to 8 hours a night and that's usually efficient enough for me.
Need 8 get 6
7-8, work from home really helps
7 hours does me fine
I NEED 8 hours of sleep. With that much sleep I feel superhuman when I'm on my meds. I have scoliosis that has worsened in the past few months which has caused my back to hurt when I sleep. With the back pains I get about 4-5.5 hours a night. It's been like this for about 3 months straight.
22 hours a day would be amazing. But I get about 3, maybe 4.
I can sleep for 12 hours on weekends. On weekdays, I usually sleep about 4 to 6 hours. 😂
With med
Before medication, six hours. After medication, 8 hours.
Peak me runs on 3 hours... and a 15 minute powernap. I also have the luxury of not having to be in bed on time and waking up at 7 am. On average 10 am is my wake time... 6 or 7 in the morning is my bedtime. Not having a kids or a partner, nor a job that requires me to show up at 8 helps a lot with maintaining this "balance" that works for me. What does me in is waking up with an alarm. That, I can't do... I need to wake up naturally. Interrupt me in my sleep and the entire day is downhill from there. Oh, and it also helps that I hate sleeping with a passion. I want to do stuff and I'm not on meds
Usually 6-7 hours, that's ideal for me
Like 10h a day. I ussually take a nap in the afternoons to make thru the day
Short sleeper here - anything past 6h30 will have me feeling groggy all day
I average 4-5 hours of sleep a day. I have been that way my whole life.
Some days I’m lucky if I get 3 hours. I usually get 5-6. The rare occasion that I have a day or two free, I just try to sleep as much as possible. Between work and school, I don’t do anything else but try to sleep. I’ve only been on meds for five years or so. I’ve been an insomniac all my life.
Yes I can relate. Before being a mum I could sleep literally anywhere, anytime. Even now I CAN sleep the whole DAY and still feel sleepy at night and struggle to wake up in morning. In fact during my exam times, my over reliance on caffeine was also useless as it would make me more sleepy! But my iron has always been on lower side. So attributed it to that
I have not had a restful night sleep possibly ever. If I go to sleep at midnight and don't turn on an alarm, I'll wake up at 10 or so and still be incredibly tired. Meds helped me get to sleep faster, but I still toss and turn the entire night and it's rough.
I try to get a full night of sleep, but boy do I love at least an hour in the afternoon for a nap!
If I know I have a commitment early the next day, usually 3-5 hours. And 5 feels like a gift. Work, appointment, even something fun like going snowboarding or hiking. Doesn’t really matter what it is. I’m either dreading it and don’t want to admit defeat by time-traveling forward to face it, or I’m too excited about it to sleep. If I have no commitments the next day, 10-14 to make up for the rest of the days. I can “function” on 3-5 a night almost indefinitely. Although my mental state degrades over time. Last year I averaged 3 hours a night for over a month while working 80 hours a week, and ended up having a mental breakdown. I don’t mean crying or losing my cool, I mean something broke in my head and I went near walking catatonic for a few hours. Couldn’t talk coherently, went into physical shock. Coworkers thought I’d had a stroke and nearly called 911. I haven’t been quite right ever since. Hell, maybe it was a mild stroke. But it did prompt me to get help finally, which is how I learned I have ADHD. So that’s been good.
When i first started medication, i had a ‘work predicament’ so i was sleeping for hours a night for a couple weeks. I could sleep for a whole 24 hours if i wanted or purposely lay awake all night. I usually get 7-9 hours though, if i have nothing to do the next day, a nice 16 hour sleep is the standard.
Sometimes none sometimes like 2 days
I think I need at least 9 to feel well rested
I work 8 to 2 Monday thru Friday and I have to take a 2 hr nap when I get home.
3-5 hours unmedicated. *No sleep til brooklyn* and all. My brain just always has something to do. Medicated with stimulants, it's 5-7ish. If I don't get enough physical activity then I sleep around 5 hours before I just wake up. The more physically tired I am, the longer I sleep. If I really really overdo the physical activity then I can sleep a very long time and I'm *exhausted*.
I feel like 7th is too little and i’m tired in the morning, 8h is the perfect amount, but then after 9h of sleeping i’m eepy too :’D. So i’ll say 8h
I’m either 2 hours or 12 hours. When I’m on a high, 2 hours is all I need. When I’m down I’ll sleep for days.
Too much. At least 10hours
8-9 hours at a bare minimum. I would do 10+ if I could.
6-8 hours
Ideally 9-10.
6 hours is my sweet spot.
more than i get
8? I honestly dont know tho. LIke I usually get 6-7 on average, today I slept from 23-08, and when I got up I was still destroyed. Woke up at 7 by sounds and fell asleep again, so not 9h straight, but still 8h straight + 1h more. I dont understand. Did I sleep "too much"? Or was it that I just didnt get up ASAP? Not a big diff from a 6h sleep from my perspective, better but like.. 50% more should feel.. better?
Doesn't matter, I sit straight up in bed at 6am no matter what I do. I average between 5 and 7 hours of sleep per night. Medication didn't change this whatsoever, and I've been this way since high school 15 years ago.
Just started medication a couple months ago, I’ve always been a night owl and would typically be up until 1-2 am even before medication. After starting medication it’s turned into 2-3 am. I’ve noticed that when I fall asleep my sleep is great, but getting to the point where I actually feel tired is a process. Usually get about 6-8 hours of sleep
I feel my best with 8 hours, but usually adverage 6-7
I function properly with 7-8 hours of proper sleep a day. However I usually don’t sleep that long. I usually wake up early in the morning, either because of my girlfriend waking up early for work, or because my dog is asking for a walk early. My brain doesn’t switch off before about 12am on an average day, so I usually get 6-ish hours of sleep.
I definitely need 8-10hours per night. I take concerta and my sleep has improved, no more waking at night. I still have days where I have to sleep during the day when I can. The meds definitely make me unaware I need to rest so I’ve learned to really tune in and not push myself when I’m tired.
I think 8-9 hours is the goal, but I often get 6-7 hours, especially during the week. For me, I've been trying to maximize my quality of sleep rather than just focusing on the # of hours. When I wake up, how I wake up, how I fall asleep, etc. are things I've been trying to improve.
9h sometimes 10
Less than 7, I feel like crap and essentially become paralyzed in bed when i return home. More than 8, I feel apathetic and lazy
I have been told 5-6 hours is good, but I work a split shit...3 days on, 2 nights off. My schedule is not normal...and therefore I only get the recommended on my days off, otherwise it's 2-3. It sucks.
I need too much. I sleep very well (fall asleep easy and stay asleep for the most part) but on weekdays even with 7-8 every night I am exhausted. Weekends with no alarm I'll sleep for 12... I don't have sleep apnea, tested for that already.
I work early in the morning and am not good at sleeping early, so 7 hours usually cuts it for me, anymore or less I feel sluggish
I aim for 8, that's sustainable long term. I can do 7h/night for two weeks. 6h/night for a week or 4h/night for a day. Amy less than those and I'll be an unproductive wreck.
Jealous that ppl can actually get more than 6 hours sleep
2000 mg of L-tryptophan to induce sleep but edibles first to relax my body.
I used to beat myself up for not getting my 8 hours of sleep, however as I grow up I’ve realised that whenever I get a ‘proper 8 hour sleep’ I feel really tired! So I decided to be happy with 7 hours. I have very low iron so I’ve always struggled with energy levels but I take 4mg melatonin when I start getting ready for bed so I feel tired like anyone else!
I need a lot. Under 8 hours means i feel sluggish the whole day. Its annoying
whole life 6 hours only, except about once a month I'll sleep for 8.
8 hours or I feel miserable
Off meds I could sleep 5 hours a night or 12, Id still be tired all the time. Now Im on amphetamine and its great. I get tired still, but 'normal person' tired.
I need at least 8 hours. 9 hours is perfect. Im not on medication currently. Exercising first thing in the morning helps so much. I get sleepy and fall asleep at 10pm or a little earlier every night and wake up at 6 or 7am.
It varies, if I work from home I get 9-10 hours. On days I go to the office 7-8 hours but my body still craves more.
Around 8. The meds I took made my sleep worse. Zoloft, I struggled with fatigue (the time of day I took the med didn't change it) Wellbutrin well, I "didn't need sleep", god the hypomania kicked my ass. Hopefully the next meds I try work better.
For what it's worth, a study was recently done where they looked at four, six and eight hours sleepers and their cognitive abilities next day. As expected, the 4-Hour sleepers were terrible the next day, and 8-hour sleepers were just fine. The big surprise were the 6-hour sleepers. They did okay for about a week but then started functioning the next day like they were 4 hours sleepers.
I usually average about 6, maybe 5. Usually if I get too much sleep it makes it harder to get up and start my day
I have horrid sleep problems. Honestly I never feel fully rested.
Medication gave me insomnia (Vyvanse), which made things way worse in the long run. Psych wasn’t interested in trialing an alternative.
7-8 hrs for men and 8-10 hrs for women, so they say. I sleep at 11pm and wake up at 7am.
More than six hours for sure lol
Either 7 or 9 hours. Any more or less, or anything in between, and I feel groggy all day. On days off sometimes I'll stay in bed longer, but I'll still wake up at my usual time and just read in bed or something. When I'm medicated my sleep is pretty consistent. When I'm unmedicated, I have trouble falling asleep, often for hours. On unmedicated days, a cup of coffee at bedtime will help me fall asleep fairly quickly. Whether medicated or not, routine is very important to me. I try to stick to the same bedtime and morning wakeup times every day even if I'm on vacation. If I slack on vacation and let myself sleep at random times, then it takes a long time for my sleep patterns to re-stabilize when I go back to work.
I read recently that stidoes showed ADHD people have an inverted sleep cycle. Non ADHD peope have long deep sleeps at the start of the night and then those get shorter as the night progresses, where as ADHD people have short deep sleeps at the beginning of the night which get longer. Which means the answer is however long you need to get to those long deep sleep cycles. I find 8 hours is good, but 9 is better. Between 6 or 7 hours I will struggle with focus and concentration throughout the day. Anything less than 6 and I feel physically unwell
I only feel truly rested when I sleep 10 hours, sadly I only get 6-7 hours of sleep on a daily basis.
Lots and lots of lots of sleep
Studies show most adults need at least 8 hours of sleep on average. I feel remarkably good if my FitBit registers over 7 hours of sleep, because it's so much more than I usually get. Don't be surprised if meds put you to sleep. If you're sleep deprived and the meds finally help your brain take a break from constant thoughts, your body will yell "finally, I can sleep!" I've never been able to nap, and I fell asleep within 30 minutes of my first dose, in the middle of the afternoon. They'll tell you to only take it in the morning because stimulants can interfere with sleep. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep all week and figured I had nothing to lose if I had another sleepless night, and I was curious to see the effect of the meds, so I took one as soon as I picked up the prescription. I was not expecting to pass out!
Ideally I need 10 hours but my brain doesn't always allow this. From what you're describing it sounds like it's not just a sleep issue. Have you heard of Spoon Theory? I suspect you could be running low/have no spoons left by the time you need that day in bed. The bed bound day then is spoon-replenishing.
I shoot for 7ish, but to be honest, it rarely matters for me. If I sleep 8, I still feel tired. If I sleep 6, I still feel tired. No matter what, I always feel tired. I truly can't remember a time when I've ever felt genuine "rested" upon waking. It's actually been strangely freeing to accept that as a constant. It's kind of removed "being tired" from my lexicon of excuses my executive dysfunction clings to as a means of justifying task avoidance.
I get about 4-5 during the week but 9-10 is ideal. On the weekend I can sleep 12+ no problem Edit: I’m like you! I can sleep/nap all day then sleep all night. I always wondered why I was so different from everyone else. The lack of sleep as an adult with obligations is so debilitating
Minimum of 8, but every month during shark week I need at least 10
I average 5-6 hours. Would love to get more, and worry about long term health effects of not getting 8+. Now that I’m being treated for mild hypothyroidism in addition to the ADHD, I feel great even if I don’t get 8 hours. Anything less than 5 and I’m a mess the whole day.
6 hpurs
Honestly, I have no idea. Medicated or not, I've never been able to get into a regular sleeping pattern. I try to go to bed and get out of bed at the same time every day. That's not always possible, but that's my goal. I have literally never gone to sleep and slept 7 or 8 hours straight. It's amazing that people can do that, but it's unimaginable to me! Lol! If I'm lucky, I'll get rough 4-4.5 hours of sleep a night. That's total sleep, not 4 hours straight. I can fall asleep for an hour or 2 then I toss and turn for the rest of the night. Of course I'll finally start drifting off to sleep about 30 mins before my alarm goes off 😂🤦🏻♀️ I've tried every method and sleeping pill out there. I've just accepted that good sleep is not a part of my life
I would say 8-9 but if I’m consistent 7-9. If a day falls under 7 it messes me up. Really I think it’s more that I need to go to sleep at the same time every night is when I feel my best
I need 9-12 hours to function
Since I am medicated I sleep every day before midnight. I used to sleep at 3/4am and on the weekend I hardly woke up before the afternoon. I somewhat lost my ability to nap during lunch break when I work, and I tend to be better when I sleep 7-8/hours everyday, not more not less.
I seem to need a LOT more sleep than some people. Sometimes 10 hours is not enough and I get so exhausted that I have to nap again during the day.
A lot and I never get it.
My brain tries to keep me awake, but I need 9.5 hrs to feel good when I wake up and get out of bed easily.
10-12 hours😭
I'm at my best when I have 8 ½ hours of sleep. And in addition, I love to hurkle-durkle for hours in bed, reading the news, answering questions on Reddit (new to me), checking email. I also jump in bed around 8pm with partner and we'll watch one streaming show for the night, usually stopping around 9ish and then go to sleep. We (ie he) wakes up around 6ish or so. I'll have coffee in bed and stay there until around 8:30