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Getting enough sleep is a major problem for kids and adults with ADHD. I’ve been a light sleeper for years, but I had no idea it was related to ADHD until I started researching symptoms.

Personally, I CANNOT go to sleep without reading first. If I try to just lie down, my mind will race with a thousand “I need to” and “I really should” thoughts, and eventually I’ll jump up and start doing stuff. Not good if I expect to be a relatively happy mom the next day.

Our kids tend to be light sleepers too. Tigger and Roo take a very long time to fall asleep, and poor Pooh has struggled with night terrors ever since he was an infant. The irony is: The less sleep kids with ADHD get, the worse their symptoms are. So we’ve had quite a few rough homeschooling days due to lack of sleep.

I’ve been reading lots of information about establishing good sleep habits, and today I’m sharing three ADHD sleep tips for kids (and adults)!

If this post is helpful, be sure to read my list of the best ADHD homeschooling tips around!

Image: Deyan Georgiev / Dollar Photo Club

ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids

1. Provide plenty of physical activity during the day.

For years, my husband has done manual work. On days that he works, he rests well at night because he’s so exhausted from the day. On weekends, though, he tends to stay up late into the night.

Turns out that’s related to ADHD! When kids and adults with ADHD exert themselves during the day, they sleep more soundly at night. Make time for your kids to get up and move vigorously during the school day and they should rest better.

2. End screen time a few hours before bed.

It’s no secret that kids tend to get excited after watching television, but that is true to an even greater degree in kids with ADHD. And it’s not just TV. Any kind of screen time, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, can be overstimulating and make it harder for kids to go to sleep at night. Of course, as I write this, it is 11:38 p.m., so this is a “Do as I say, not as I do” moment. 😉

We’ll be talking more about screen time limits later in the series, but it is critical that we minimize (and even eliminate) screen time when possible to avoid sleep problems and loss of focus. That’s where adding in physical fitness can help, because it gives kids an outlet for their energy instead of adding more stimuli.

3. Establish a bedtime routine and stick to it.

We’ve used a set bedtime in our family for years. But that’s not all that’s involved in establishing a bedtime routine. You know how doctors encourage you to create a routine of bathing, reading, and singing to help babies learn to sleep at night? We should keep that going with our kids long after babyhood.

We covered the importance of routines for ADHD yesterday, and those same points apply to the bedtime routine. That means that consistency is critical. Once you establish your bedtime routine, stick with it every night. Over time, your kids’ bodies will learn that nighttime is for winding down and resting.

Note: I’ve been hearing good things about melatonin. My daughter’s pediatrician actually recommended it to us during her last visit. But I’ve been hesitant to try it, because I’ve heard that it gives some kids nightmares. So if any of you have any thoughts or experiences with melatonin, please tell me about them! (Disclosure: I am not a medical professional. Please consult a doctor before deciding how to treat ADHD in your family.)

Have you struggled with helping your kids with ADHD go to sleep? Do you have any ADHD sleep tips for kids that work in your family? Tell us about them in the comments!

Need more help parenting and teaching kids with ADHD? Read these posts for ideas!

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Don’t miss these other great posts!

I am a huge proponent of goal-setting. Since I have adult ADHD, I usually need regular goals to help me stay focused on what I’m trying to accomplish. As a result, I try to set learning goals for my kids with ADHD as well.

Goal-setting, though, only works if we consider our kids’ unique situations. That’s just another vote in favor for homeschooling, because we can set different goals for each child that are specifically designed to help them improve in their schoolwork.

Here are a few tips I use to help set learning goals for children with ADHD! Read on to see if these tips work for your family!

Be sure to stop by and read our best tips for homeschooling with ADHD as well!

How to Set Learning Goals for Children with ADHD

1. Make sure the goals are attainable.

The most important part of goal-setting for ADHD kids is choosing reasonable goals. Simply getting started can feel overwhelming to the ADHD brain, so if the process is too intimidating, your kids won’t even want to try.

Have the kids start with small, reachable goals that are catered to their levels. If you have a kindergartner that loves to read, set a goal of finishing one easy reader per day. But if you have a kindergartner who doesn’t love reading, set a goal of reading for five minutes per day. That way, there’s no pressure for kids to compete with their siblings.

Take-away: Have the kids start with small, reachable goals that are catered to their levels.

2. Have them choose their own deadlines.

Some kids with ADHD do well with pressure and work best on a deadline. Others don’t. If your kids like deadlines, have them decide when they think they can accomplish them and then write them on a calendar.

Resist the urge to choose a goal date for them, unless their goal is something ridiculous such as “Learn to multiply and divide by the end of first grade.” In that case, you might want to help them set more realistic expectations.

You might also want to consider a very small incentive to spur them along. Something simple and (preferably) inexpensive, such as additional play time, a new book, or extra alone time with Mom may be a strong motivator.

Take-away: Ask kids when they think they can accomplish their goals and shoot for that date.

3. Work along with them.

I’ve also found that my kids work the best when they feel that I’m involved in the process with them. So when they set goals, I check in with them everyday and ask about how they’re doing. I also ask about what challenges they’re facing and how they think they can overcome any obstacles to reach the goal.

In some cases, I actually sit in with the kids as they work. If Tigger is reading a new book for an assignment, I might have her read on the sofa next to me as I’m working. If Pooh is working on handwriting, I generally sit at the table with him. Just my presence can be enough to help them stay on task.

Roo is my reluctant reader, so we set a goal of reading five minutes per day together. He looks forward to our time and he’s developing an interest in reading!

Take-away: Work with your children as they reach for their goals.

How do you help try to set learning goals for children with ADHD in your family? Do you use any kind of incentives to motivate them? Tell us about it in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Day 13: Inspiring the Unmotivated ADHD Child to Learn!

Did you enjoy this post? Stop by to read even more tips on ADHD homeschooling!

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ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids That Actually Work!