Question:
I'm a 27-year-old ADD guy. Naturally I have sleeping problems. I can sleep
but not healthy. I wake up ever 1-2 hours (maybe more). That causes me to
be always tired and restless. I wonder if is there anybody who has similar
problems. I also received a 10-things-to-do list for a good sleep from a
doctor. Sounds good, but the last option on the list tells not to use any
medicine to help sleeping. I also tried Ritalin, Adderall, Dex****. They
did't help. Any suggesttions?
Answer:
All of the things you mention look like symptoms of sleep apnea. At
the very least it's clear you have some sort of sleep disorder. ADD
is very closely linked to sleep disorders. In children with
obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it's fairly common.
The "to-do" list you got from your doctor is helpful
but won't cure or properly treat your problem. You
should ask your doctor if he/she knows about OSA
and ask him/her to refer you to a sleep specialist
for further evaluation. If he/she won't give
you a referral, find another doctor.
Until you get properly evaluated, it is
definitely a very good idea to follow the
advice given in your "ten things"
pamphlet and avoid sleep-inducing
medications of any kind. If you do have
OSA, tranquilizers will invariably make
it worse and possibly life-threatening.
Ritalin, et al are similar to caffeine and
all other stimulants in that they tend to
fragment your sleep patterns. Not good!
OSA is serious. It can lead to cardiovascular
disease, heart attack and stroke.
You definitely have symptoms that can point to sleep apnea or related sleep
disorders. A great many of us have experienced this tiredness and
restlessness. In fact there has been some suggestion that there MIGHT be a
connection between ADD and sleep apnea. It is usually regarded as not
conclusive ... but .. ??
I would seriously suggest you visit
http://www.apneanet.org/
and take their screening questionnaire. If you find you are answering several
questions YES, take the results in to your doctor and ask for a referral to an
accredited sleep specialist. Here is a list:
http://www.absm.org/Diplomates/listing.htm
You can read all about my symptoms and what a difference it has made to me when
my primary physician recognized my problem and gave me that referral! Go to
http://www.apneanet.org/stories/storymikeh.htm
It can make a huge difference in your life!
I must agree with the other posters already in this thread.
Interesting work has been done recently linking childhood sleep apnea
with misdiagnosis of ADD in children. Get thyself to a sleep
specialist for an evaluation!
