It’s past midnight. You’re tired, you know you should be asleep, and yet you stay on your phone, start one more episode, tidy a drawer. The next morning, getting up is a battle, and the day is already off to a late start.
With ADHD, this scenario is extremely common. And it weighs on everything else.
Why evenings are so hard
The evening is often the first moment of the day when nobody is asking anything of you. After a day spent focusing on what other people expect of you, your brain is finally demanding some time for itself. Putting off bedtime is a way of reclaiming that time, even at the expense of your sleep.
On top of that, many people with ADHD have a naturally later body clock: energy arrives late, ideas do too, and falling asleep becomes difficult. Screens do the rest, with an endless stream of novelty that never stops by itself.
Why it matters
Lack of sleep makes almost everything worse: attention, impulsivity, mood, managing your emotions. One night that’s too short can make it feel as though your ADHD is twice as strong the next day. It’s often one of the most rewarding things to work on.
Simple ways to recover better
1. Set your wake-up time before your bedtime
Getting up at the same time every day, even at weekends, stabilises your rhythm more reliably than a bedtime you don’t stick to. Bedtime follows, little by little.
2. Create an evening transition
The ADHD brain finds it hard to switch from one mode to another. A short, fixed sequence, always the same, helps it understand that the day is coming to an end: softer lighting, a shower, reading a few pages.
3. Get the phone out of the bedroom
This is the most effective change, and the hardest. An ordinary alarm clock, a charger in another room, and the temptation drops considerably.
4. Take time for yourself earlier
If you put off going to bed so that you have some time to yourself, give yourself that time earlier in the evening. An hour that’s truly yours at 9pm reduces the need to steal it from your sleep at midnight.
5. Look at what you use to switch off
Screens, alcohol, cannabis, working late: many people with ADHD use something to take the pressure down in the evening. This isn’t a judgement, it’s information. Understanding what you use and why makes it possible to find alternatives that don’t cost you your night.
When to talk to a doctor
If you’ve been sleeping badly for a long time, if you snore loudly, if you wake up exhausted despite long nights, or if you take medication for your ADHD, talk to your doctor. Some sleep disorders can be treated, and medication can sometimes be adjusted. Coaching is no substitute for that advice.
What we work on in coaching
Sleep is part of Block 2 of my programme, “Physical basics”, along with diet, movement and what you use to regulate yourself in the evening. We work on time slots and transitions, not willpower. The goal: to end your days without crashing, and to get back to steady energy.