When ADHD Keeps Your Child Awake at Night: What Can You Do?

Understanding the ADHD–Sleep Connection

It’s 10:30 p.m. Your child has been in bed for nearly an hour, but you still hear rustling, the occasional thump of feet on the floor, maybe even a request for water—for the third time tonight. As a parent of a child with ADHD, these evenings may feel all too familiar. While you desperately crave a moment of calm, your child is caught in the frustrating cycle of stimulation, restlessness, and exhaustion masquerading as hyperactivity.

Children with ADHD are more prone to sleep issues than their peers. It’s not just about having trouble falling asleep. It’s also about staying asleep, waking too early, or struggling to relax before bed at all. And the cruel irony? A lack of quality sleep only intensifies daytime ADHD symptoms, making everything from getting dressed to focusing in class even harder the next day.

So, what can you do when your child’s brain simply won’t settle, night after night? The answer is complex but full of hope—because where there’s understanding, there can be action.

An Overactive Mind That Won’t Shut Off

Imagine lying down to sleep while your mind races with unfinished homework, social slip-ups, or that math problem you just couldn’t figure out. For kids with ADHD, bedtime can feel like entering a mental racetrack, not a place of rest. This is especially true during school weeks, when stress and academic pressure add weight to their already busy brains.

Emma, a mom I recently spoke with, shared that her 9-year-old son Liam (diagnosed with ADHD last year) routinely lies awake for over an hour each night, replaying classroom moments in his mind. Some nights he’s worried about a forgotten assignment. Other nights, it’s the frustration of not keeping up during a spelling test.

What made a difference for Liam? Creating a new bedtime ritual that includes not only a wind-down routine but also emotional decompression. Emma began setting aside 10 minutes before lights out to talk about the school day. Not problem-solving—just listening. Once Liam felt heard without judgment, his body began to relax more quickly.

Practical Ways to Support Sleep

While no single solution will work for every child, there are a few consistent approaches that can ease the transition from chaotic evenings to smoother nights:

• Establish unwavering consistency: A highly predictable bedtime, even on weekends, helps train the brain to settle. That means no screen time at least 60 minutes before bed, a warm bath or shower, followed by a calm activity like reading or drawing.
• Create a sensory-safe sleep environment: Dim lighting, white noise, blackout curtains, and even a weighted blanket can bring physical comfort that helps signal "sleep" to a restless body.
• Watch for hidden stressors: School-related anxiety is a common but often overlooked cause of bedtime resistance. If your child dreads the next school day, it’s worth exploring the roots of that anxiety. Consider reading this guide to understanding ADHD causes to dig deeper.

The Power of Story and Routine

Many children with ADHD thrive when routines engage their imagination. That’s especially true at bedtime. Instead of “trying to make them sleepy,” think about inviting them into a calming world where their brain feels safe and seen.

One powerful approach I’ve seen work well is turning lesson review into a calming, audio-based story. Some parents have found success transforming school topics into bedtime audio adventures—personalized and engaging, where their child becomes the hero of the journey. One dad I met used the Skuli app (available on iOS and Android) to do just that: he turned science content into an enchanting story where his daughter, Maya, saved a mythical forest by applying what she learned in class. She’d listen to this “bedtime quest” right before sleep—and not only did her anxiety about school decrease, her ability to fall asleep did, too.

Look Beyond Sleep Hygiene

If you’ve mastered the lights-off-at-8:30 routine and your child is still bouncing off the walls, it might be time to look deeper. Sleep resistance in ADHD isn’t just about environment—it can be neurological. ADHD impacts the brain’s ability to regulate melatonin production, meaning some children stay “on” longer than others, no matter how tired they feel.

For some families, behavioral therapies like CBT-i (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) adapted specifically for children with ADHD can be life-changing. Others might explore whether temporary medication adjustments at night could help—but always in close consultation with your pediatrician or a sleep specialist.

There’s also the emotional piece: bedtime is a time of vulnerability. For children who struggle throughout the day, bedtime can feel threatening—too quiet, no distractions, with only their own thoughts for company. If your child acts out or becomes clingy every night, consider what feelings may be surfacing. They may not need discipline; they may need connection. Curious to learn more about supporting emotional regulation at home? This article offers insights on common mistakes parents make and how to avoid them.

Resilience Comes One Night at a Time

Helping your child build healthier sleep habits is not a task for perfectionists—it takes trial and error, self-forgiveness, and a willingness to adjust. There will be setbacks. A tough school day might lead to tears at bedtime. A birthday party with cake at 7 p.m. could undo a week of good sleep routines.

But over time, with care and creativity, better evenings are possible. You might create a calming evening playlist together, design a visual bedtime routine chart, or set up a cozy reading corner. And don't forget: you can always make small changes to how schoolwork shows up in your child’s day as well. For example, creating a less stressful home study environment (here’s how to craft one that works) can help reduce evening tension.

In Closing

You are not alone in this. Many parents walk the same late-night halls, listening to the soft shuffle of feet or answering whispered questions long past bedtime. It’s okay to be tired. And it’s okay to ask for help, explore tools, and prioritize connection over control.

With time, patience, and the right kind of support—at home, through technology, and in partnership with your child—you can ease that nighttime struggle. Because every child deserves restful sleep. And every parent deserves the relief of hearing nothing at all at 10:30 p.m.—except the steady breath of a child finally at peace.

Looking to support your child beyond bedtime? Explore this article on ADHD school accommodations to help foster healthy days, too.