ADHD Medication Not Working for Your Teen? It May be a Sleep Disorder
By Chris Hammond
It is yet another counseling appointment for Sam who is 13
years old and is struggling in school, home, and everywhere he goes. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and depression
in the past but all of the medications have failed to work and his is getting
worse, not better. He is a bright boy
who can do well at school but he frequently falls asleep while doing homework
saying that it is too boring. Socially
he struggles with his peers as he seems disconnected, detached, and
distracted. You are beyond frustrated,
having tried numerous therapies and medications convinced that something is
wrong but unable to identify it. Finally
you begin to believe that he is just lazy.
While laziness may play a factor in Sam’s teenage brain,
there might be something else.
Frequently, lack of proper sleep can have waking symptoms of ADHD or
even depression. Without proper REM
sleep, a still growing teenager will struggle to stay awake during the day,
seem distracted, forgetful, moody, prone to anger, unable to focus for long
periods of time, and sleep excessively.
A teenager should get approximately 9 hours of sleep with an additional
hour of sleep if going through a growth spurt.
If you are concerned that your child may have a sleep disorder instead
of ADHD or depression, ask your doctor to order a sleep study. This is the best way to diagnose sleep
disorders.
Narcolepsy. The movie version of narcolepsy has a person
walking in a mall and suddenly dropping to the floor and going to sleep. This is not entirely accurate as there are
many forms of narcolepsy all ranging from mild to severe. In a teenager, narcolepsy looks like falling
asleep while in class, doing homework, watching TV, or reading. The teen may also be talking to you one
minute, look away, seem to be somewhere else for a second and then return back
to the conversation claiming an inability to follow the conversation. This is likely to cause problems at school
and home as it may seem disrespectful to you.
The good news is that once it is diagnosed, proper medication can
mitigate the symptoms as well as a strict sleep schedule including a nap.
Sleep Apnea. During the night, a person with sleep apnea
is suddenly startled in the middle of a deep sleep because breathing has
stopped. This can happen many times
during the course of the night leaving the waking person to feel exhausted in
the morning. In a teenager, falling
asleep during class, jerking while asleep, and snoring are all commons
symptoms. The treatment varies for teens
but common practices are to remove the tonsils and adenoids for relief of the
symptoms.
Insomnia. Having difficulty falling asleep at night,
staying asleep or not feeling rested could be chronic insomnia. Without regular sleep a teen seems
distracted, depressed, struggles to concentrate at school, is moody, clumsy,
and irritable. Again, early diagnosis is
the key as there are many medications which can be beneficial in reducing the
symptoms of insomnia. In addition, a
regular sleep schedule is essential to condition your body when to rest and
when to remain awake.
While there are more sleep disorders, these are the ones
most commonly seen in teens. Still there
are other medical conditions that could be contributing to sleep problems such
as Restless Leg Syndrome so it is important to speak with your doctor to rule
out any other contributing factors. However,
the most important element in teaching your teen about good sleep patterns is
by modeling them yourself. Develop a
relaxing nighttime routine such as reading, yoga, a bath, or a cup of chamomile
tea to release the day’s stressors and allow your body to naturally relax. In addition, do your best to go to bed at the
same time every night waking up approximately 7 hours later around the same
time every morning. This routine will
not only improve your sleep habits but can aid in weight loss, reduce anxiety, depression
and stress all of which can be beneficial for you and your teen.
