It's midnight. You need to be up in 6 hours. You're either lying in bed with a brain that won't stop, or still on your phone because going to bed means giving up the only unstructured time you've had all day.
Why ADHD disrupts sleep
65-80% of adults with ADHD have clinically significant sleep problems.
Delayed sleep phase. Many ADHD brains have a circadian rhythm 1-3 hours later than average. Forcing sleep at 10 PM is fighting your biology.
Racing mind. The default mode network — active when you're not focused on something external — is dysregulated in ADHD. At night, it runs unchecked. That's the racing thoughts arriving when your head hits the pillow.
Revenge bedtime procrastination. When your day is full of demands, nighttime feels like the only time that's yours. Staying up is a maladaptive attempt to reclaim autonomy.
What helps
Background input. White noise, podcasts at low volume — something to occupy the default mode network without full stimulation.
Transition time. Screens off, lights dim, same routine. Executive function is lowest at end of day, so the routine must be simple enough for autopilot.
Address revenge procrastination at the source. Build 30-60 minutes of genuine free time into your earlier evening. A visual timeline can help you see where that time lives in your day. When you've had enough "you time," the pull to stay up diminishes.
Sleep isn't separate from ADHD management. It's foundational. Every executive function you're building runs on sleep.