ADD Student

What is it about ADD Students and getting out of bed? Why is that so hard?

My daughter Caitlin is in college. Today her first class started at 1:00 pm. She got to class late because she had trouble getting up, she spent too much time in the shower and in front of the TV, and she left late, underestimating her drive time. Today was not an unusual occurrence.

Younger kids who still take the bus or mom’s minivan to school often have the same problems.

You know, Caitlin got home a little while ago and she was in a crabby mood. Starting your day off the way she did probably had a lot to do with it. And you have to wonder how much learning will get done on a day when you’re running late from the minute you get up.

Here are some ideas that can make starting the day a little bit easier:

Start your day the night before. Get as much done as possible. Choose the day’s clothing, find the shoes, pack the backpack and put it near the door. Make a lunch and get breakfast set up if you can.

Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep can have a huge effect on ADHD symptoms. It can be hard for ADDers to get to sleep once they go to bed – and hard to get them to bed at a reasonable time. I read somewhere last week that if your child isn’t waking up on their own, they aren’t getting enough sleep.

Structure your child’s bedroom for sleep. Make sure that the bed and bedding is comfortable for them. Block out light and noise if you can, but not to the extent that they can’t sleep unless it’s completely dark and quiet. If possible, have the whole family go to bed around the same time. Knowing others are up can sometimes interfere with getting to sleep.

If your child takes medication for their ADHD, have them take it as soon as they get up, or even before they get up.

Find a gentle way to gradually wake them. There are all kinds of alarm clocks that will do this.

No matter how hectic or crazy the morning is, try to keep an upbeat, positive mood in the house so that they at least have that to take with them.