Exhaust your body - put on techno and dance, work out, do something physical that will get your blood pumping… it’s what helps me when I’m in that state.
Just a note to the non-ADHD lurkers (we love you guys) my understanding is that this is an ADHD specific thing where we need the come down from stimulation to “switch off” sometimes - I think it’s probably awful advice for neutotypical folks and will just flood you with endorphins that keep you awake.
Also, as always, ADHD isn’t monolithic and your mileage may vary.
Ah wait this need for a “come down” from stimulation might explain a lot of things for me.
If I’m coming down from a long day/walk/etc. the tiredness hits me, but if I don’t go to bed and fall asleep fast enough, even if I’m relaxing, then I will no longer be sleepy and will struggle to fall asleep.
I have found a couple things help me pretty reliably. Listen to something calming and repetitive like white noise or rain sounds. Then have a mundane thing to think about and focus on. I will visualize starting with a cube of wood and slowly cutting the edges and corners of to make a sphere. Or imagine I am cleaning a flow with methodic sweeping and mopping.
I play Solitaire on my phone with the screen really dim.
I suspect it works because it’s just engaging enough to start, and then the mindless repitition sets in and slows things down.
Just one more turn. Damn you civ6.
Definitely the absolute worst - your brain is constantly being fed interesting things… I’ve found Civ and similar games bringing me to dawn without realizing it.
Lmao the amount of time I’ve wasted on the various Civ incarnations over the years is… well… we shouldn’t talk about it 😬
I got hooked young - one day my dad came home with a copy of Civilization (the Win 95 version I think) and said, “I think computer games are going to take off”.
🫠
The only thing I’ve found that helps is feeling like I achieved something worthwhile in my day. So after 6+ hours of video games it’ll be like 1am, I’ll yawn and suddenly think, oh I should get in a couple hours of writing. Whereas if I had already cleaned the house and emailed my family then I’ll be in bed by 11.
It’s a problem where the solution is to not have the problem in the first place, which doesn’t help if you already have the problem.
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
There’s always a reason. Boredom, rumination or in my case last night, physical pain.
Too tired to go to bed. Been there.
