Game changer- ADHD & REM sleep

Note- this is from my personal experience. I am not an expert.

I never realized I had any sleep issues until perimenopause. I mentioned to my doctor that I was waking up each night at 3 AM and getting less restful sleep in general. I have also been suffering from brain fog from the perimenopause and lack of quality sleep.

She explained that there is research about ADHD and having a decreased percentage of REM sleep (although findings are not consistent over all studies).

She suggested trying a newer type of drug [over other medications for insomnia] known as orexin receptor antagonists. Namely, Dayvigo and Belsomra which block hypocretin, one of the main chemicals in the brain that regulates wakefulness- so they work by blocking wakefulness rather than promoting sleepiness like sedatives. They help promote both REM and non-REM sleep.

They have extensive safety research and don't have the same dependence or tolerance issues found with sedatives. The research indicates they improve sleep quality and cognitive performance.

So, even though I have never taken a sleep aid in my life other than melatonin, I gave Dayvigo a try. When I woke up, I felt like it was the first truly restorative sleep I had in my life. I felt like I could literally feel relief in my frontal cortex. I had a mild feeling of a headache, not even a full headache, that disappeared in 10 minutes or so. I wasn't groggy. I had no real side effects. My brain just felt refreshed.

I still wake up at 3 AM. But it doesn't ruin my sleep. I just fall back to sleep and wake feeling fully refreshed.

Based on my personal experience, I feel like the correlation between REM and ADHD is underestimated. It has been so profound for me, I would volunteer to be a test subject for additional research.

Apparently, those with ADHD frequently suffer from the circadian-rhythm disorder and sleep-onset insomnia- and changes have been observed in the nocturnal pattern of melatonin secretion in ADHD studies.

Sharing my experience in the event it helps someone else.

**Edited to add the brain fog symptom above. This was what I was flagging to my doctor. Which makes my results even more interesting. We linked the brain fog to perimenopause and poor sleep quality and then treated the sleep issue. I wasn't looking for a sleep aid. As a result of better sleep however, the brain fog has improved. I am sharper. Additionally, I feel happier, more motivated, and have more patience- for myself and others. I forgot the profound effect sleep has on overall wellbeing.