{"id":630509,"date":"2024-11-19T13:25:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T18:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=630509"},"modified":"2025-11-13T14:00:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T19:00:52","slug":"adderall-and-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/adderall-and-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Adderall affect sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adderall is a controlled prescription medication commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (<\/span>ADHD<\/span><\/a>). It is also <\/span>approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)<\/span> to promote wakefulness in people with <\/span>narcolepsy<\/span><\/a>, a sleep disorder. The standard, immediate-release<\/span> Adderall<\/span><\/a> is usually taken two or three times per day, while extended-release Adderall XR is taken once daily. Both contain a mixture of two <\/span>central nervous system (CNS) stimulants<\/span><\/a>\u2014amphetamines and dextroamphetamine\u2014which increase levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like other ADHD medications, Adderall is not without side effects. If you or someone in your care experience sleep problems on Adderall, you\u2019re not alone. There have been many reports of Adderall impacting sleep wellness. Below, two sleep medicine physicians unpack how and why <\/span>Adderall<\/span><\/a> affects sleep\u2014and what to do about it.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

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Does Adderall affect sleep?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sleep disturbances are commonly reported Adderall side effects. In <\/span>clinical trials of Adderall XR<\/span>, insomnia was reported in 17% of children (ages 6\u201312), 12% of adolescents (ages 13\u201317), and 27% of adults.<\/span><\/p>\n

Insomnia, which the <\/span>National Institutes of Health<\/span><\/a> (NIH) defines as trouble falling or staying asleep, is the <\/span>most common sleep-related adverse effect associated with prescription stimulants<\/span><\/a> such as Adderall. <\/span>Delayed sleep phase syndrome<\/span><\/a> (DSPS) has also been reported with stimulant medications. An example of <\/span>DSPS<\/span><\/a> is when a person\u2019s sleep is delayed by two hours or more beyond what is considered a conventional bedtime, making it difficult to wake up at the desired time. Essentially, it is a disrupted circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake cycle) that can cause daytime sleepiness and a sub-optimal sleep schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also important to note that some Adderall users\u2019 sleep problems might be caused by the reason they\u2019re taking the drug in the first place: ADHD. People with ADHD have an increased risk of developing sleep disorders. A <\/span>population-based study<\/span><\/a> in Sweden found that 7.5% of people with ADHD also had a sleep disorder, and another <\/span>study of 252 adults with ADHD<\/span><\/a> found that 44.4% of them had insomnia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adderall sleep problems: Why they occur<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201c<\/span>Adderall<\/span><\/a> is a powerful stimulant that can raise blood pressure, heart rate, and energy levels,\u201d says <\/span>Alex Hakim<\/span><\/a>, MD, a Los Angeles-based sleep physician quadruple board-certified in sleep, critical care, and internal and pulmonary medicines. All of these factors are additive and increase wakefulness. That\u2019s bad news if Adderall is still active in your body when it\u2019s time to go to sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reason for Adderall sleep problems is that it tends to stay in the body for a long time after it\u2019s ingested. Adderall has a half-life of 10\u201314 hours, according to Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of <\/span>Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine<\/span><\/a>. That means it takes 10\u201314 hours for the body to eliminate half of the medication. \u201cBecause of the longer half-life, Adderall has a greater chance of causing insomnia and reducing deep sleep as well as REM (dream sleep) in the morning,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>How long does Adderall stay in your system?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, Adderall\u2019s stimulating effects can make it hard for a person to relax enough to fall and stay asleep\u2014especially if not much time has passed since taking Adderall or if the dose is too high,\u201d Dr. Harkim says.<\/span><\/p>\n

What to do about sleep problems and other Adderall side effects<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no denying that people on Adderall have a higher-than-average risk of <\/span>sleep problems<\/span><\/a>. The good news is that there are ways to help prevent insomnia and other Adderall side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take Adderall first thing in the morning<\/span><\/h3>\n

The best way to prevent sleep problems while taking Adderall is to take it as early in the day as possible. If your work schedule prevents you from sleeping at night, you can take it as far in advance of your anticipated sleep window as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to limit the effects of the drug to the hours where it is needed most and provide an adequate time buffer for the start of anticipated sleep,\u201d Dr. Hakim says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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