ADHD and insomnia

People with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often report trouble sleeping. It is thought that this relationship works both ways with ADHD making it harder for people to sleep and poor sleep contributing to the symptoms of ADHD. At the same time people with ADHD tend to smoke more and drink more coffee (both of which can cause insomnia) and are more likely to be overweight leading to sleep apnoea. Most of the drugs prescribed for ADHD are stimulants although the evidence is mixed as to whether they make the problem better or worse. Researchers from the New York University School of Medicine studied the effect of the ADHD drug lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on sleep quality in adults with ADHD. LDX is different from other drugs for ADHD as it is taken in an inactive form and only becomes active as it is metabolised in the body. The researchers studied 420 people taking either a placebo or varying amounts of LDX. The study found that for most of the participants LDX was not associated with an overall worsening of sleep quality and significantly improved daytime functioning.

Adler, Lenard A. ... [et al] - Effect of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate on sleep in adults with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Behavioral and brain functions 2009, 5(34)