While there are many prescription medications which can help with sleep, people are often reluctant to use another prescription medication to deal with sleep.

Which is why I like to start working on sleep with a natural approach.

Firstly – people need to focus on good ‘sleep hygiene’. Sleep hygiene refers to following good practices around sleep to help to eliminate problems. For example, not having caffeine after mid-day, getting exercise, not watching TV in bed, doing low stimulus activities prior to sleep (i.e. reading) etc. Sleep hygiene can make a difference, but often it’s not enough to help everyone.

The first ‘medicine’ I use to help with insomnia is: Melatonin. Melatonin is a natural supplement that is available ‘over the counter’ – i.e. a prescription is not needed. Our brains naturally make melatonin to help to regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

In the days before electricity, when the sun was up, our brain made no melatonin, and then when it was dark out, our brains made melatonin, telling us that it was time to sleep. Nowadays, it is possible to have artificial light on all the time – with lights, TVs, computer screens, etc. Thus, our brains don’t get a clear message as to when it is night time, and thus many people have sleep wake cycle problems.

Melatonin can be purchased from a pharmacy or health food store. It generally comes in a 3 mg tablets. Sometimes, it comes in liquid, or melt in the mouth forms. Sometimes there are ‘extra strength’ pills that are 5 mg.

I generally recommend that people start the melatonin at 3 mg per night – and take it about 1 hour before going to sleep. If that doesn’t work, I will sometimes increase the dose from there. Talk to your doctor if you are considering using this approach for your health care.

While I haven’t done any formal research, in my experience with ADHD patients – kids, teens and adults, melatonin seems to help around 50-60% of the time.

There are generally very few side effects with Melatonin usage. If you plan to use it for the longer term, talk to your doctor about any possible risks.

Have you tried melatonin? Does melatonin work for you? Please share your thoughts and experiences below.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

©2010 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Adult ADHD, Melatonin, sleep

The researchers split 37 children with ADHD into two groups – good sleepers and poor sleepers, based on testing. They then found that the poor sleepers had a significant improvment in their awareness and vigilance on the neuropsychological test called the CPT (continuous performance task) when they took methylphenidate.

Methylphenidate is the active medicine in the following ADHD medications:

• Ritalin
• Ritalin LA
• Ritalin SR
• Concerta
• Metadate CD
• Biphentin
• Daytrana
• Focalin
• Methylin
• Rubifen
• and others…

Sleep problems can be very common in individuals with ADD or ADHD.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the following:

Experts recommend that children in pre-school sleep between 11-13 hours a night, and school-aged children between 10-11 hours of sleep a night.

Your child should follow these steps to get a good night’s sleep:

* Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
* Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
* Get a full night’s sleep every night.
* Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.
* Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal before bedtime either.
* The bedroom should be quiet, dark and a little bit cool.
* Get up at the same time every morning.

Parents who suspect that their child might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their child’s pediatrician or a sleep specialist.

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Sleep Medicine, Ritalin, Medicine for ADHD

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