this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2026
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ADHD

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Hi all! I was formally diagnosed with ADHD in my mid 20's. Currently taking generic Vyvanse and Guanfacine. Getting on meds was a huge quality of life improvement. One thing that I still struggle with is chronic insomnia, which is a common commorbidity with -- or maybe symptom of -- ADHD. The insomnia started around the time I hit puberty and I can count on one hand the number of great nights sleeps I've had since then.

I've tried a lot of environmental changes like:

  • Having a rigid bedtime schedule.
  • Wearing blue light filter glasses for 3 hours before bed.
  • Taking melatonin supplements.
  • Minimizing screentime.
  • Using a weighted blanket.

Those all seem to help somewhat but not to a huge degree. I still feel sleep deprived most of the time.

Apparently I also occasionally have jerking movements while asleep somewhat consistent with "Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS)".

Has anyone else had a similar experience and found any effective treatments?

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[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 6 hours ago

The meds for many people reduce sleep quality. You should talk to your doctor. Drug, dosage, and timing can help. As others said, you should do a sleep study.

One thing you didn’t mention is exercise; it may help, but it’s not a panacea. It should be completed well before sleep, as intense exercise is stimulating.

Blue light filters are simply nowhere near as effective as simply dimming the lights and taking screens out of the equation for those hours is more effective. But again, this is far from a panacea.