The Importance of Bedtime Routines for Children with ADHD
From the May 2001 Education newsletter.
Parents of children with challenging behavior, such as that associated with ADHD, know that bedtime can sometimes be difficult. Mark Durand, a psychology professor and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the State University of New York at Albany, offers some guidelines for taking the hassle out of bedtime in his book, Sleep Better: A Guide to Improving Sleep for Children with Special Needs. Dr. Durand, who specializes in behavior problems and sleep disturbances in children with disabilities, is the father of a child who has had sleep difficulties. In chapter 4 of his book, Dr. Durand provides some tips on helping children with ADHD fall asleep faster. We’ve included that excerpt, along with a link to his "Good Sleep Habits Checklist," below. Educators, please feel free to pass this information along to parents.
Bedtime Routines for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Parents of children who have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often report that one of the sleep problems that their children experience is taking a long time to go to sleep. This may be related to ADHD or to the medication that many of these children take each day. Whatever the cause, bedtime routines may take much longer for these children.
One recommendation is to allow a longer-than-usual bedtime routine for children who seem to need more time to wind down. After a few weeks of a 1-hour bedtime routine that the child seems to accept, you can decide whether you want to change the time. Again, if this extra time seems to be interfering with sleep or is difficult to manage, then parents should fade back the routine until it approximates the 30 minutes recommended. This is done slowly by decreasing the routine from 60 to 50 minutes. If, after 2 weeks, the child has adapted to the 50-minute routine, then cut back the time to 40 minutes, then 30 minutes.
Fading back the bedtime routine often prevents fighting at bedtime and lets the child slowly adapt to the restriction. It is important to note that fading routines, as with any of the recommendations made in Sleep Better, will need to be individually assessed. For example, if your child is doing well with 60 minutes but becomes difficult to manage when you move it back to 50 minutes, then try 55 minutes instead. Remember that bedtime routines should be a calming time and not a time for fights.
