ADHD-related medical terms I didn't learn until my 40s
ADHD-related medical terms I didn't learn until my 40s
"vertical heterophoria" - When your eyes are slightly misaligned. Yeah you heard right. Sometimes people with ADHD literally don't see straight. Your basic eye exam won't actually catch this, but a good optometrist should know what it is and be able to test for it if you ask. The first time I ever heard of it was Vertical Heterophoria: The ADHD-Related Eye Condition You've Never Heard Of and the symptoms sounded way too familiar. Headaches, dizziness, and anxiety? That was enough to get me to make a special appointment with my eye doctor, and now I have glasses that noticably reduce the amount of headaches I get when I wear them outside the house. It's pretty wild.
"intrusive sleep" or "theta wave intrusion" - I've had sleep issues all my life, from difficulty falling asleep at night to only sleeping three or four hours a day in high school, to being known among my college friends for my ability to fall asleep any time, anywhere. I've been diagnosed with everything from narcolepsy to sleep apnea, but this was a new one for me when I first heard of it. When I'm bored, I fall asleep. It's not that I'm overtired or undercaffienated, it's not that I'm trying to be rude. It just happens. When I play Animal Crossing, if I'm doing repetitive things for too long, I'll fall asleep on the couch. If I'm reading a novel and it's even slightly uninteresting, I need to skim or I will drop. If I'm… well, you get the idea. If my brain is not sufficiently stimulated, it basically goes into screensaver mode and I fall asleep.
| Link | Summary |
|---|---|
| Understanding ADHD Intrusive Sleep: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options for Restful Nights | ADHD Intrusive Sleep refers to the common comorbidity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and sleep disorders, characterized by intrusive thoughts and restlessness during sleep. |
| ADHD and Sleep Problems: Why You're Always Tired - ADDitude | ADHD impairs sleep — getting to bed on time, sleeping soundly, and waking up. Here, our experts explain the link between ADHD and sleep, and explain why you're always tired. … Intrusive Sleep with ADHD. Paul Wender, M.D., a 30-year veteran ADHD researcher, relates ADHD to interest-based performance. As long as persons with ADHD were … |
| ADHD and Sleep Problems: How Are They Related? - Sleep Foundation | Individuals with ADHD-related sleep deprivation may feel grumpy, irritable, restless, or tired, or they may have trouble paying attention at school or at work. Sometimes, these symptoms may be mistaken for a mood disorder. In turn, anxiety and behavioral difficulties have been linked to a higher incidence of sleep problems for children with ADHD. |
| Sleep Strategies for Adults with ADHD - Psych Central | Adults with ADHD can experience a number of sleep problems, including trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. After a night of restlessness and lack of sleep, adults may also experience daytime … |
| Adult ADHD and Coping With Sleep Difficulties - Psychology Today | Apart from wake-up struggles from staying up too late, many adults with ADHD report problems with prolonged asleep-to-awake transitions despite adequate sleep. This morning-time, low-arousal state … |
| ADHD & Sleep: Problems and Solutions - ADDA - Attention Deficit … | It’s important to understand why ADHD affects sleep. ADHD can begin to disturb sleep from around the age of 12 but doesn’t always correspond with other symptoms. However, ADHD and sleep issues can stay with you into adulthood. … If racing or intrusive thoughts are keeping you up at night, try some calming, positive mental techniques. |
| Associations of sleep disturbance with ADHD: implications for treatment | The reciprocal nature of the relationships between ADHD and sleep may reflect the functional and neuroanatomical overlap between brain regions involved in attention, arousal and sleep regulation (Owens et al. 2013; Owens 2008). This review provides a broad but comprehensive overview of the relationships between ADHD and sleep, with the aims of … |
| Managing Sleep in Adults with ADHD: From Science to Pragmatic … | 1. Introduction. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder associated with high levels of impairment in adulthood [1,2,3] and is estimated to affect up to 5% of adults worldwide [4,5,6].There is strong evidence that adults with ADHD have an elevated risk for sleep-related problems, from surveys relying on screeners to identify ADHD [4,7,8], and clinical … |
| Ways ADHD Can Cause Insomnia & Sleep Problems (And How To Fix It) - WebMD | Go to bed at about the same time every day. Sleep in a comfortable bed in a dark and quiet room. Avoid looking at screens (TVs, smartphones, etc.) and electronic media in the evening. People with … |
| How to Fall Asleep: Common ADHD Problems and Solutions - ADDitude | Going to bed late (around 2 a.m.) Difficulty awakening (regardless of ample sleep) Feeling tired despite ample sleep. Difficulty maintaining alertness during the day. Sleep talking/sleep walking. Narcolepsy. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). About a quarter of the ADHD population has symptoms that mimic RLS 3. |
| ADHD and Sleep Disorders Diagnosis and Management - CHADD | Management of sleep disorders. The management or treatment of a sleep disorder depends on the cause. Adjust your eating and drinking habits. If the problem comes from consuming too much caffeine in the afternoon or drinking too much alcohol, cutting back on those habits—or getting rid of them entirely—can make a huge difference. |