Sleep Disorders

ADHD Is the Disorder That Never Sleeps

Research suggests that ADHD night owls should reset their internal clocks. Here’s how to fix circadian rhythm problems and achieve more restful sleep with ADHD.

By J.J. Sandra Kooij, M.D., Ph.D. Updated on February 11, 2026
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With ADHD, we think of challenges that appear from dawn to dusk – distractibility, impulsivity, emotional dysregulation. A growing body of research, however, has discovered that some of ADHD’s most impairing challenges emerge at (and after) bedtime. Though these challenges relate to sleep, their consequences reverberate around the clock.

Whether an early bird, night owl, or something in between, each of us has an internal clock that determines our sleep rhythm. This clock, located in the mid-brain, is heritable and it starts ticking in childhood. Because it directs the rhythms of all bodily organs, it has far-reaching influence.

Most people with ADHD (up to 80%) are night owls, with a significantly later sleep rhythm than non-ADHD individuals. My colleagues and I quantified this discrepancy through a sleep study in which we measured the timing of melatonin production in the saliva of people with and without ADHD. When this naturally occurring hormone is secreted by the brain, it primes the body for sleep about two hours later (three hours later for people with ADHD). Our findings revealed that melatonin was released at:

  • 9:30 p.m., with an estimated 11:30 p.m. sleep onset for non ADHD people
  • 11 p.m., with an estimated 2 a.m. sleep onset for people with ADHD

Is Staying Up Late Bad For You?

In a world in which school and work obligations begin first thing in the morning, a late bedtime can lead to significant problems. The optimal sleep duration for adults is seven to eight hours. Because people with ADHD tend to go to sleep late but must still wake early, they sleep just five to six hours on average. This means that, day after day, year after year, people with ADHD are chronically sleep-deprived.

[Self Test: Could You Have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder?]

The consequences of shorter sleep duration include:

If these sound familiar, it’s because many are also associated with ADHD. So, not only does ADHD cause sleep problems, but sleep problems aggravate ADHD symptoms.

Ripple Effects of Delayed Sleep

Your sleep rhythm sets the schedule for a host of bodily processes. For example, if you sleep from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., your body enters its deepest phase of sleep at 4:30 a.m., when your temperature reaches its lowest point. At 6:15 a.m., your blood pressure rises in preparation for waking. At 7 a.m., when your eyes open and receive sunlight, melatonin secretion stops. Activation of the digestive system begins around 8 a.m. The timing of these processes is determined by your bedtime, so when it’s pushed back to 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., your other rhythms are knocked out of sync.

[Watch: “How Sleep Disorders Impact Every Aspect of Life with ADHD”]

For example, many people with ADHD and delayed sleep phase disorder – falling asleep and waking up several hours later than normal – experience appetite later in the morning. They tend to skip breakfast and then make poor nutrition choices later in the day, leading to  weight gain.

The solution to a late sleep rhythm is simple: Shift your bedtime earlier. When your biological clock works against you, as it does for so many with ADHD, you’ll need to take deliberate steps and maintain resolve. Here’s what research has taught us.

How to Fix Circadian Rhythm Problems

1. Make Use of Melatonin

Many people with delayed sleep phase disorder use melatonin to effectively establish an earlier bedtime. My research team found that, for individuals with ADHD, nightly use of 0.5 mg. of melatonin resulted in dim light melatonin onset (when melatonin levels begin to rise in the body) 90 minutes earlier than otherwise expected. When combined with sleep hygiene, this leads to  an earlier bedtime.

A low dose of melatonin, 0.5 or 1 mg., taken around 10 p.m., is sufficient. (Higher doses are not more effective and may cause you to feel sleepy the next day). Melatonin works for about three to four hours, so it helps you fall asleep, but not stay asleep. For difficulty with night waking, you might try long-acting melatonin.

2. Let There Be Light Therapy

To fully adjust your sleep/wake rhythms, use morning light therapy to help you wake up at an earlier hour. Choose a wake-up time between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. (ideally after seven to eight hours of sleep) and sit in front of a light box (or wear light therapy glasses) for 30 minutes upon waking. Repeat for five to 21 days, especially in winter. The light box should have an intensity of 10,000 lux, and your face should be about 20 centimeters from the box.

3. Nix the Nap

Exhausted individuals end up napping during the day, but long naps push back bedtime. If you do take a nap, set an alarm so it doesn’t exceed 30 minutes.

4. Don’t Sleep In

Many night owls make up for short sleep duration during the week by sleeping in on weekends. However, abundant research shows that late wake times on weekends, followed by early wake times during the week, exacerbate sleep problems and leave you more tired. With the help of melatonin and light therapy, try to maintain a consistent wake time, even on weekends.

How to Fix Circadian Rhythm Issues: Next Steps

J.J. Sandra Kooij, M.D., PH.D., is a psychiatrist at PsyQ and Head of the Expertise Center Adult ADHD in the Netherlands.

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