My gut instinct is to say I’m more of a night person, I can quite happily stay up to the small hours of the morning and sleep until late morning or early afternoon, but if you were to ask me to wake up at four or five in the morning to travel somewhere, or go to work, I could probably do it (very begrudgingly). Still, I probably wouldn’t be fully functional for at least a few hours.

I believe it is a common thing for people with ADHD, like myself, to have a delayed circadian rhythm, whereby our natural awake/sleep cycle is different from neurotypical folks. This means we tend to perform better in the afternoon, evenings and even late into the night.

There are different theories as to why this may be, from arguments suggesting an evolutionary or genetic cause. For example, back when humans needed people to guard caves from predators or to watch over herds of animals overnight, it was beneficial to have people who were less prone to dozing off while on duty. Genetically speaking, there may be differences in a person’s “clock genes”, which, combined with other biological factors such as when and how much of the hormone melatonin is released and Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) differences and the volume of the Pineal gland, can all contribute to an ADHD person’s sleep cycle.

Obviously, there are other factors too, such as environmental factors, such as stress and how much time we spend in front of a screen. Blue light can have an effect on a person’s circadian rhythm as it can alter a person’s melatonin production. Some people say, a busy environment means a busy mind, which may or may not be true in my case.

I can often get into a bit of a vicious cycle when it comes to the quality of sleep and my ADHD symptoms, which I’m learning as I write this blog, is a fairly common occurrence and has been researched. I’m probably in a bit of a self-destructive routine of going to bed late, then getting up late, then taking my meds late, and the cycle continues. That being said, I’ve mentioned a few times in videos on my YouTube that I actually prefer being up late than getting up early. The world is so much more peaceful and enjoyable at two a.m. than it is at most points during the day. I feel like there’s less pressure to perform or be someone that I’m not when everyone else is asleep.

I’ve got a Fitbit watch that “tracks” my sleep, and it quite regularly says that I get less than five hours of actual sleep a night (even if I’m in bed and not awake for eight hours or more), and most of that is in the lighter sleep phase, which would explain why I feel tired when I get up. Throw in a good dose of sleep apnea, and it’s no wonder my sleep pattern is more than a little wonky!

If anyone has any good sleep tips, though, they would be more than welcome! I see loads of adverts for various supplements, like “functional mushrooms” and different types of magnesium compounds, and they seem a bit of a “snake oil” situation. If I can avoid nonsense like that, that would be great!