ADHD Children and Sleep

ADHD Children and Sleep – If you are a parent of a neurodivergent child with ADHD, you know the bedtime struggle all too well — the tossing, turning, and late-night bursts of energy before bedtime.

For children with ADHD, falling (and staying) asleep can be a real challenge, especially as a lack of restorative rest can negatively affect everything from their focus, emotional states and behaviour the next day.

We know that sleep is a power source that charges the human’s internal battery — for healthy development in children it needs a full charge for learning, play, and emotional regulation. If sleep is disrupted, children can find it a struggle to concentrate, manage challenges, regulate their behaviour and stay calm.

Research confirms that up to 70% of children with ADHD experience some form of sleep problem; difficulty falling asleep, restless nights, or early waking (ScienceDirect, 2022).

So how do you help your child with ADHD improve sleep? If they sleep better, will it have a positive effect on the their ADHD?

Will helping your child rest better, naturally support their ability to self-regulate, focus, and feel more emotionally regulated?

Why ADHD and Sleep Are So Closely Linked

Scientists are still uncovering exactly why ADHD and sleep issues so often overlap. Some studies suggest that the same parts of the brain involved in attention and impulse control also influence our sleep cycles (National Institutes of Health, 2023).

Research also highlights that children with ADHD may produce lower levels of melatonin — the hormone that helps regulate sleep — or have delayed circadian rhythms, meaning their bodies naturally want to fall asleep later (Sleep Foundation, 2024).

ADHD medications can also influence sleep patterns but this should be part of the solution along with supporting good sleep hygiene.

When Sleep Loss Mimics ADHD

Interestingly, a lack of sleep in otherwise non-neurodiverse children can sometimes look like ADHD. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to restlessness, poor focus, and emotional dysregulation (Frontiers in Sleep, 2023).

If this sounds like your child, take a gentle look at bedtime routines, screen use, and stress levels. Supporting longer and better sleep could make a difference to a child’s emotional, mental balance and behaviour.

How Mindfulness and Meditation Can Help with Sleep

Mindfulness and meditation are now recognised as powerful, mental health tools in society. For neurodivergent children with ADHD, it can provide practical, calming skills that support the whole child, as part of their care plan.

A 2023 review found that mindfulness-based practices helped children with ADHD reduce hyperactivity, improve attention, and experience improved emotional regulation (Sage Journals, 2021).

How can meditation help children this way?

Mindful practices help children learn how to slow down, notice how they feel, and breathe through difficult moments. For bedtime, mindfulness can soothe parts of the overstimulated brain – the “busy brain” described by children with ADHD.

Simple mindfulness or meditation before bed — such as body awareness, gentle breathing, or guided visualisations — can:

help children unwind and fall asleep more easily
reduce bedtime anxiety and restlessness
support deeper, more restorative sleep

With regular practice, this benefits bedtime and strengthens self-regulation skills throughout the next day. Children become aware of the signals that they’re overstimulated and can use their breath or grounding to self-regulate (along with the support of their caring adults).

In the book, Calm Kids, it highlights how meditation nurtures the brain frequency called ‘The Alpha State’:

“Then we have the Alpha state, which, from a meditation perspective is very useful to nurture in children.”

A human moves through different states of consciousness (and this is indicated by electrical activity measured in the brain using an EEG). The Beta state is full alertness, the Alpha state is the relaxed but alert followed by Theta and Delta states of deeper sleep. To improve sleep, the Alpha state is essential as it is an important stage to providing an effective night’s sleep. The Alpha state is nurtured during meditation.

Improving sleep for the whole family

Supporting a child with ADHD is rewarding, but it also tiring — especially when your sleep is disrupted. Mindful practices aren’t just for children; parents and carers benefit, too. When you model calm breathing and patience, your child’s nervous system is co-regulated by your practice.

The positive benefit of mindful moments is incremental so you don’t have to fix everything at onece. Small steps — consistent bedtime, calmer evenings, mindful moments throughout the day— can make a powerful, long-term difference.

Next Steps

If you are curious about meditation and mindfulness, you can learn about the Connected Kids Method© of teaching children these skills through the following online resources:

Mindful Parenting Skills – good for beginners to meditation – parents and carers – includes some tips on helping neurodivergent children.

Mindful Activities Collection – helps people with meditation experience introduce meditation to young people and includes bedtime reading through a mindful story for anxious children

Connected Kids Method© – Professional Training – for people who want to help children of all abilities – including neurodivergent children who are Autistic or have ADHD.

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Article Author

Lorraine E Murray is a published author and founder of the International program using the Connected Kids Method© since 2006, and has helped adults share meditation skills with children of all ages (toddlers to teens). She is an intuitive healer, meditation practitioner and holistic therapist with over 35 years of personal experience. She has fostered for 10 years working with trauma-experienced children from age 3 to 17.

Lorraine E Murray is not a medical doctor. The ideas in the Connected Kids program (and books) are based on her experience of working with children. They may complement but should never replace the advice and treatment of a medical specialist. If you are concerned about your child’s health, please consult a medical doctor.