ADHD sleep study

Cynthia - posted on 06/07/2011

Rebecca, I would try melatonin. It is safe, and you can buy it over the counter. I give my son (7 years, 50 pounds) 1 mg, and that's all he needs to get to sleep within 1/2 hour. He used to lay awake for HOURS!

Rebecca - posted on 06/07/2011

my son has just started takin medikient 5mg twice a day, before his sleepin use to b great i use to put him to bed about 7-7.30 and not hear him till morning, but since startin the medication it's near 10pm before he goes to sleep once he's gone to sleep he don't wake till morning any ideas on hw i can get him to sleep

Cynthia - posted on 12/17/2010

Unfortunately, Vyvanse is a stimulant, and my son shouldn't take stimulants because they can make the symptoms of his Tourette Syndrome worse, and in my opinion that is worse than his ADHD symptoms. He is homeschooled, so I am able to adapt his education to his strengths, and even scrap the whole thing when he's having a hard day.

Josee - posted on 12/17/2010

Hi,
My son is 11 and has ADHD as well as NF1. He has mental development delays as well. He use to be on Concerta 56mgs and that was no longer working. As well he is on the clonodin for the sleep. His Dr. and I decided to try him on a new medication called Vyvanse and I have seen an improvement in his sleep. Insomnia is not one of the side affects with this medication like it is with Concerta. He still needs the clonodine to fall asleep but once he is asleep now most nights he sleeps all night. There is the very odd night that he gets up throughout the night but that is mostly due to nightmares. I understand where you are coming from because for the longest time I never got a full night sleep as I was up with him multiple times a night. You may want to talk to your Dr. about Vyvanse. The other good thing we are noticing with this is that he can self regulate better. He can make himself concentrate when it is necessary like at school. Evenings are still a bit harder once the meds wear off but not as bad as they use to be. I hope that this is of help to you and wish you the best. These kids are super and are a blessing to have.

Cynthia - posted on 12/13/2010

Did you find out the name of the medication they are testing in the study?
My son has ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome, so there are really only two medications that would work on that combination. Stimulants (Ritalin, Concerta, etc.) will make the tics worse, and they are already pretty bad. The melatonin is such a blessing! I can tell when he hasn't had it, when he has he is so easy to put to bed, he even asks to go to bed. Without it, he fights, and says he's not tired. The thing is, even though he falls asleep easier, and sleeps longer with the melatonin, he still wakes up multiple times each night.
Why is your son on Intuniv? Have you noticed it helps? That is the other medication that helps with tics and ADHD (guanfacine, right?) We are working on getting a prescription for Clonidine, but if that doesn't work we will try Guanfacine (in either Tenex or Intuniv).
thank you for your post! It is really helpful. I am still hoping to talk with the drs at the sleep study, but I will definitely be more cautious, and ask more questions.

Jennifer - posted on 12/13/2010

Hi, my oldest son also has ADHD and I saw the advertisement for the sleep study and spoke with his doctors. They all told me it probably would not be a good idea because you never really know what the side effects could be. Like you, my son rarely sleeps through the night and has been this way since he was born. I do not know if you use medication other than melatonin however, I am currently working with my son’s doctors to change his medication and the new one they just put him on seems to be working. He takes Concerta 36mgs in the morning and intuniv 1mg. in the evening. I hope you can find an alternative to the sleep study, and wish you a lot of luck.

Cynthia - posted on 12/12/2010

My son is 7, and has only slept through the night maybe 10-15 times since he was born. We have tried EVERYTHING! Routine, baths, lavender, reward charts. The closest we got was with a reward chart, which I may start again after the holidays. He has had a sleep study that did not show anything, but he's had night terrors since he was around 3 months old that has now turned into sleepwalking (typical of kids with ADHD and Tourette's).
This drug is already approved and used in adults with sleep problems. The study is actually being advertised on Facebook, and is being conducted all over the US. There are two studies going on right now, one is placebo-controlled, the other is open label. I do not know which one the center I have been referred to will be doing. I am hoping for a phone call sometime next week.

Andrea - posted on 12/10/2010

My son has always slept well. Sleeping 12 hours through the night at 5 weeks old. He is now 14, and if he doesn't get his 12 hours of sleep, he is grumpy and impossible. He was started on klonopin to help his anxieties, but it created a fire starting behavior, which I was not so tolerant of. I have nothing to help a child sleep through the night that never has. How old is your child? Does your child snore? Do you have a consistent bedtime routine? Have you had a doctor evaluate your child for sleep disorders? A study medication will not have a name quite yet, it will be named something that is scientific. If a study medication has made it to human testing, and the FDA has approved it for testing in children, it has passed several safety tests already. There is a special licensing for drug companies to use children as test subjects, and it has to prove safe in animal studies and adult human studies. Since children are different than adults, there can be some side effects that have not shown up in animal or adult human studies. Your child will be chosen for the drug or placebo. Your honesty in reporting symptoms and effects will be most beneficial to the study. I have not heard of this study, and it has not been advertised in my area. Hopefully, you can find something that will help, good luck!

Cynthia - posted on 12/10/2010

I am trying to get my son on Clonidine, too (dr is working on the prescription). I am so glad it helps your son. My son has tourette syndrome as well as ADHD, clonidine is one of only two medications that works on both conditions.

Thanks for your input! It really encourages me to hear that there is something out there that can help!

Phyllis - posted on 12/10/2010

My son was the same way, and the Melatonin had the same results. Now he is on Melatonin and Clonidine, and the Clonidine keeps him asleep much longer. I have not heard of this sleep study at all, but it sounds interesting.