ADHD Experts Podcast 574- The Disorder That Never Sleeps
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Sep 11, 2025 J.J. Sandra Kooij, a renowned psychiatrist and head of the Expertise Center Adult ADHD in the Netherlands, dives into the struggles ADHD night owls face with sleep. She highlights how irregular internal clocks and melatonin production affect restfulness. Kooij shares effective strategies like low-dose melatonin and light therapy to help reset sleep cycles. She emphasizes the importance of consistent wake times and creating a conducive sleep environment, offering listeners valuable insights for achieving better sleep hygiene.
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ADHD Strongly Linked To Night Owl Rhythms
- Up to 80% of people with ADHD have a significantly later sleep rhythm and act as night owls.
- This late rhythm causes chronic short sleep and worsens daytime ADHD symptoms like fatigue and poor focus.
Biological Clock Measured By Melatonin Delay
- Melatonin onset occurs about 90 minutes later in people with ADHD versus controls, shifting sleep onset by hours.
- The study measured saliva melatonin and estimated ADHD sleep onset around 2 a.m. versus 11:30 p.m. for others.
Sleep Rhythm Controls Many Body Clocks
- Your sleep rhythm times many bodily processes from temperature nadir to digestion and appetite.
- A delayed rhythm shifts these processes, causing late appetite, skipped breakfast, poor choices, and weight gain.