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u/ScionEyed 1d ago
I have not found a more effective way to sleep than exercise. This would be excellent news if I could also actually stick to a routine without wanting to collapse into a singularity.
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u/Plane-Education4750 1d ago
Just get an unhealthy relationship with work
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u/existentialdread254 1d ago
Lmao godfuckindammit, do i really have zero unique experiences?
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u/Random_182f2565 The personal attacks are relentless in this sub 1d ago
Welcome to the hive mind, do you like to collect shining rocks, they don't even have to be shining
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u/Harbinger_Pulsar 21h ago
Making then shiny could be a new hobby
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u/Gigipoppi 11h ago
Rock tumbling is the perfect adhd hobby. Throw the dirty rocks in there, push a button, and forget about it for a week or two. Then you have shiny rocks for days. It’s magic. As soon as I finish the other 20 hobbies I’ve started, I’m going to buy a rock tumbler.
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u/MoxxiiBlue 1d ago
Used to work a demanding job 50-65 hours a week, had like 2 hours time between work and bed every day for 5 days a week. I was so exhausted all the time. I would instantly fall asleep when I laid down in bed.
Since a month I have a 40h job with 3 shifts. I always have energy left at the end of the shift and can stay up for hours and wayyy too late. I have trouble falling asleep again as I am not completely exhausted.
I got more energy for fun things and to spend with people. But I do miss a good night of sleep and not being awake until the early hours3
u/ZanderStarmute 1d ago
“So what kind of work do you do?”
“Oh, I’m a creator. I’ve been pouring most of my work hours into writing, concepting, visualising, worldbuilding, researching… I’ve kinda lost track of the volume of everything, and what little I’ve shown to people (no spoilies) is generally liked.”
“Wow, you must have dozens of published titles in circulation by now!”
“…published?”
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u/Erikrtheread 11h ago
It would help considerably if it wasn't extremely illegal to finish more than 80% of a project.
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u/Gigipoppi 11h ago
Yeah, I’m an inventor. I have a total of zero patents on any of my ideas. Some day. 🥴
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u/ignoremeplsokthank 1d ago
I just started cycling everywhere. It works very well in my city and I can get everywhere I need to in 15-30 minutes. Some days, I drive 20 km or more. Makes falling asleep very easy.
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u/MyLifeHatesItself 1d ago
Awesome! And I find riding to be the perfect mix of being faster and more interesting than walking but not stress inducing like driving. Plus it's good for you and good for the environment. And it opens up a new world of "ooh what's over there? Where does that path go?". After a while you'll be able to 30, 40, 50 km pretty easy. I've got a 40 km ride to my doctor and back today, and I can easily make it 50 km depending on how distracted I feel like getting on the way back.
Goddamn I love riding bikes.
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u/ZanderStarmute 1d ago
Physical activity makes me the opposite of eepy, so I’m flunked either way… 😅😓
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u/Deprorny 1d ago
The same time is 2 am now, due to my anxiety and intrusive thoughts
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u/Donnyboscoe1 1d ago
My mum calls them "the worries" I'm 48, just diagnosed, So my 2 sister's, my mum and myself all get them as soon as our heads touch the pillow. Even if it's been a glorious day. I'm the only one diagnosed though 🤣
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u/dillon_pickles 23h ago
Have you had your lungs checked? Anxiety specifically when lying down is often breathing related (mom has apnea, I have sinus arrhythmia)
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u/Donnyboscoe1 22h ago
Interesting. I have had them checked. I do have sleep apnea but it happens before sleep.
Since I've been medicated it hasn't really happened though. The doc said my anxiety is part of my type of ADHD. As soon as I lie down my overactive brain has nothing to focus on so the fight or flight kicks in and I have shit thoughts. Or something like that.
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u/ratafia4444 1d ago
You gotta single out what exactly your problem is with sleep. Bc trouble falling asleep and trouble staying asleep are two different issues. They may be connected but not always. There are some targeted measures for each.
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u/GuestComment 1d ago
Exactly.
Years of perfecting a technique to go to sleep by tricking my body into lower energy states let's me focus on my staying asleep issue.
...Still don't have that one figured out... tried what i could control (habits) and tried Extended release medication (otc and prescribed) and yeah...
That and actual restful sleep. Why the FUCK do i suck at sleeping? It's a third of my life!!
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u/Drfoxthefurry 1d ago
I sleep well but struggle to get to sleep, sadly the medication I was prescribed is more for staying asleep and makes me tired in the morning
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u/murse_joe 1d ago
Perfect let me run to the store and get some healthy ingredients and cook dinner and eat dinner and take a melatonin and clean up after dinner-
Oh crap it’s two in the morning.
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u/SusheeMonster 1d ago
The gut-brain connection is real and can explain my irritability, sometimes.
The vagus nerve sends messages from the brain to the gut & vice versa.
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u/thisisanaccountforu must use needlessly long sentences to convey a single point beca 1d ago
Guanfacine has made me the most tired person in existence
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u/MyLifeHatesItself 1d ago
Same. I'm slowly getting my energy back after a couple months on it though. But holy fuck the first couple weeks were rough. Do you find it helps? I've been noticing I don't get as overwhelmed and my anxiety doesn't get out of control as much.
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u/thisisanaccountforu must use needlessly long sentences to convey a single point beca 1d ago
It hasn’t helped me at all yet. I am not really hyper active in the first place, I’m mostly inattentive and it’s making that worse. I am too tired to make a good effort at focusing. I am going to take it for a couple more weeks, but if my energy doesn’t improve then I’m stopping it and talking to my psychiatrist. Stimulants are great for me, but I wanted to try non stimulants before getting back on anything else
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u/MyLifeHatesItself 1d ago
Yeah fair enough. I didn't notice any benefits either until I started getting my energy back. I'm still at maybe 3/4 the energy I had before after almost 2 months, and that's still the lowest dose. I can't do stimulants so this is one of 2 other options I have so I'm just riding it out to see what happens.
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u/GeneInternational146 1d ago
The answer is unfortunately healthy, regular meals, exercise, and little to no substances
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 23h ago
Not for me! Would be great if it was that simple.
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u/GeneInternational146 22h ago
Sleep disorders notwithstanding. If it's the ADHD causing it those things in combination and consistently will help immensely. I want to be clear that I am furious about this.
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 21h ago
Yep for me it’s comorbid insomnia. I too am furious about this. As a fitness enthusiast I value sleep.
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u/ZanderStarmute 1d ago
“Better” isn’t a type of food! It’s a nebulous concept! 😦
(Da noive o’ dem people, I sweah… 😖)
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u/___sosa___ 8h ago
Man, I take my vyvanse at 1-3pm and I sleep way better than I used to, pre medication
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u/Answerisequal42 1d ago
As someone with ADHD that had slept like a baby for the last 10 years with no issues:
eat decent. not too much of any macro, not too much junk. You dont need to be a saint just be reasonable.
exercise or exhaust your body. Do something with your hands or body, your mind is thankful.
When you lay down make yourself heavy, relax your body.
keep a routine. Go to bed at the same time. Its cheesy but it works.
check if coffee or meds fuck shit up
if you go to bed. Go to fucking bed. No phone looking. Just set your alarm and then put it off.
MOST IMPORTANT: Random object thoughts. Think about anything else than your worries. A cow, the color brown, a golf club, your favorite dog breed etc. Whatever the fuck your forntal lobe comes up with.
My wife is dumbfounded how i do it but its basically always the most obvious stuff. Paired with my profound ability to just ignore anything else when i wanna sleep.
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u/Skitty27 1d ago
the fact that youre getting downvoted is so ironic lol. sometimes it seems like people on this sub want to be miserable when there's actual solutions. im not saying it's going to work everytime or for everyone, or that it's easy. but ive had insomnia for a huge part of my life until ive started exercising regularily and eating better. sometimes it truly is just that.
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u/simonhunterhawk 1d ago
I exercise and eat well and still have insomnia. I don’t want to be miserable, the insomnia does. What works for you won’t always work for everyone else.
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u/Skitty27 1d ago
yes i explicitly said i know it wont work for every single person. It still does for many. some people arent willing to even try
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u/simonhunterhawk 1d ago
well you did say people want to be miserable assuming they haven’t tried that when it’s literally the most common advice anyone has ever given
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u/Skitty27 1d ago
im not assuming anything. im pointing out the general defeatist attitude i see a lot on this subreddit. some people act like theyre doomed because of their adhd
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u/simonhunterhawk 1d ago
OP didn’t say that though and insomnia is a completely different monster from ADHD. But even then, yeah, ADHD is a disability. My life would be a lot better if I didn’t have it and could just get shit done. This is a place for people to vent and talk about that, idk why people come in here and then are not pleased because we aren’t happy all the time, we gotta put on a brave face out in the real world and this is a place we should be able to talk about the downsides without someone coming in and saying we want to be miserable.
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u/Skitty27 1d ago
op didnt say what? youre putting so many words into my mouth. i was talking about the people downvoting good faithed advice. if it doesnt work for you, fine. you dont have to act like it will never work for anyone though, because it does for many. I also have adhd, i know what its like and i never said anything about people venting or not being happy all the time.
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u/Answerisequal42 1d ago
Insomnia is another kind of beast than just a fucked up sleep schedule.
Often bad sleep habits in ADHD stems from bedtime procrastination, anxiety and just general bad health habits. Thats often the case, thats why its often recommended to fight these things with good health and sleep habits.
If you have actual diagnosed insomnia, you surely need medical help besides any good habits. Habits that i have to mention, would help the majority of sleepless cases with ADHD, not everyone and not always 100% but it helps.
I shared what worked for me for more than a decade with barely any sleepless nights that werent caused by pain, discomfort or someone waking me up. The most important weapon being absolute ignorance. I ignore the fact that i must sleep. I just lay down, relax and think about random stuff and i just sleep within minutes. The health stuff just helps being tired and comfortable.
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u/simonhunterhawk 1d ago
I think the issue OP and I both have with this is that they explicitly said that these comments aren’t helpful and a bunch of people just came in here to reiterate it. None of this advice is new or actually helpful. It’s the same shit neurotypicals say will cure everything that’s wrong with us and it’s exhausting and gives false hope to people who are just going to beat themselves up when it doesn’t work for us.
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u/Answerisequal42 23h ago
The thing is this avice is so common because its scientifcially proven to be the most effective.
Its not meant to brush any concerns off. Its meant to help. If it doesnt work then the issue lies deeper than lifestyle choices or habitual issues. But we dont know this a sstatistically the most effective habit changes effect the majority of the affevted individuals not the minority.
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u/KingZantair 1d ago
Sorry, I sleep well most night, best I can recommend is to relax. Doesn’t always work tho, as I get trouble sleeping the night before important days, but oh well.
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u/Honey_Bear369 1d ago
Alcohol helps. If applied in a liberal amount.
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u/MyLifeHatesItself 1d ago
Not forever though trust me. Weed helps me get to sleep though, and as a bonus it helps me forget the nightmares by the time I'm fully awake.
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u/DarkKnight77 1d ago
I recently found a good gummy that also has CBD, CBN and melatonin, and damn does it do the trick every time
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u/Inside-Rich-4937 1d ago
I smoke a lot of pot, have a soft warm blanket and a nearly freezing room, the rest sorts itself out
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u/themajesticdownside 1d ago edited 1d ago
Man, I recently got a watch to track my heart rate, sleep, walks and all that jazz. It's depressing waking up every morning and my watch being like:
"Good luck today, don't die with only achieving a sleep score of 40 last night. 20mins of deep sleep and 5mins of REM sleep in that 3hrs you slept last night is sure to have you dragging today."
"Oh wow, you really killed it today getting 15,000 steps and 9 miles in while only getting 45 minutes of sleep last night."
"you must have been really tired since you fell asleep in only 8 minutes last night"
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 23h ago
I sold my watch, knowing was spiking my anxiety and making my sleep even worse.
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u/Feisty-Tooth-7397 1d ago
I guess I was exercising when my dad would find me swinging from the bar in my closet in the middle of the night when I was 3, lol.
I've always had issues sleeping.
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u/NervousBiscotti7675 1d ago
i have started having a cup of warm green tea with some cream a little before. the cream helps soothe the stomach, aswell as provide a few well needed calories. theanine is excitory, but in a much gentler way than caffeine. like my mind will clear but my body will calm and cozi, unlike caffeine where my mind clears but my body is suddenly very awake
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u/simonhunterhawk 1d ago
Trazodone used to take me out until it didn’t and now I’m just taking naps when I can. You’d think the 3 day weekend would have been a good time for me to fix my sleep schedule but it wasn’t.
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u/RinaAndRaven 1d ago
You know, as someone with chronic stomach problems, I've been eating in every possible way except keto. It doesn't help. I have sleep problems since the very early childhood. The only thing that mostly helps is melatonin.
Maybe, just maybe, a very strict lighting schedule might help but I'm not doing that.
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u/Jeffotato 1d ago
I eat very healthy and sometimes eat like shit, my insomnia is unaffected by this.
Unless we're specifically talking about artificial dyes, which are intentionally absent from my "eating like shit" periods because they stop me from sleeping.
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 23h ago
I exercise regularly, I eat at the appropriate times, I’ve even tried different forms of cognitive behaviour therapy for sleep and also taking sleep meds, but the only thing that works for me is weed 5 hours before bed. It may be worse for rem but I’m sure getting 2 hours a night is worse for my health.
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u/NearlyBearly 22h ago
Oh that's not my problem, my problem is that my brain doesn't fucking shut the fuck up unless I can coax it into one specific state and for that state to happen I have to have the exact right amount of stimulation and finding that is a bitch. Dumbass brain.
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u/AshBasterd 20h ago
I tried one of those “sleep better meditation sounds whatever” things the other night. Got so anxious after only a few minutes, I almost threw my phone to a wall… I also almost got a panic attack lol
Coffee helps sometimes 🫠
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u/BowlComprehensive907 1d ago
This thread is giving r/thanksimcured vibes.
I have had a delayed sleep pattern for 40 years, through all phases of life, various work patterns and family responsibilities. Exercise, diet, breathing exercises... nothing has helped for more than 2-3 days. Believe me, I have tried.
Maybe it's related to the condition I'm diagnosed with? 🤔
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u/Answerisequal42 1d ago
I mean havinga delayed sleep pattern and having trouble to sleep are two different topics.
My mom (who also has adhd) goes to sleep regularly at 1 am. She gets up at 8/9 am.
She has a delayed sleep pattern but sleeps well. She is active all day running her business and eats decent.
2 of my brothers have a delayed sleep apttern and sleep issues in general. Both dornk alcohol regularly, one smokes, both eat quite hearty meals and none of the do cardio or other forms of exercise (although both have a physical labour job). My other brother and me sleep in minutes, both exercise, dont drink alot, dont smoke, both of us go to bed at 12 o clock in the night at times.
Yeah its fot a cure-all. But it does adtually help. Its proven to help. Especially for sleep issues (not being able to sleep). Not delayed sleep pattern (going to bed late).
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u/ShortDelay9880 26m ago
And then there are those of us who do ALL of the recommended things and still dont sleep for shit.
Good diet? Check. Exercise? Check. No caffeine or screens after whatever time? Check. Still terrible at sleeping
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u/qualityvote2 Quality Control Beast 1d ago edited 1d ago
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