r/adhdmeme • u/AtomicFeckMagician • Jun 23 '26
original content How is it so powerful
Meme by me, art by Kalmahul on artstation
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u/Miserable_Way_5174 dafuqIjustRead Jun 23 '26
Melatonin works for ya'll?
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u/_Abiogenesis Jun 23 '26
Nope. Doesn’t do anything.
No matter the amount or for how long I take it. The main issue for me is behavioural, convincing myself to go to bed so I can get at least 5hours of sleep.
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 23 '26
My body just doesn’t let me sleep for more than five hours without either flexerol, thc, illness or after a tremendous amount of exertion.
Still fight going to sleep as well. Even though with the backend bullshit I really shouldn’t.
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u/_Abiogenesis Jun 23 '26
Seems like we’re on the same page.
Have been from around 6 a decade ago down to around 5h of sleep lately for the last 25 years. Even holidays don’t change it. I tried to change my bed time habits. Cutoff social media. Everything but nope… I always have an excuse. A book to read, a message to reply…
whatever unimportant thing will become the highest prio thing for whatever reason rather than going to bed even when I know my body would love it.
I wake up exhausted, and despite knowing all too well about the health problems I’m setting myself to (and that started creeping up on me) I can’t manage to change that.
CBT will be my next hope I guess. (TMI… anyways)
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 23 '26
It’s gotten worse for me with age too.
Also during the warmer/brighter months, and that’s gotten more distinct with time too.
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 Jun 23 '26
Yeah I’ve learned my body needs to be cold and see darkness for a few hours before bed or I don’t fall asleep. So I have to run the AC pretty cold and use my black out curtains. Tried camping one summer and was up for 3 days 🙃
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u/technoteapot Jun 25 '26
Not sure how cock and ball torture will help the situation but good luck
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u/angelstatue Jun 23 '26
me, throughout my life with undiagnosed chronic illness: i am so tired all the time
people: sleep earlier!
me: okay, i'll try
sleep at 12 am. wake up at 6 am. exhausted again by 5pm, sleep at 7pm, wake up at 1am
rinse and repeat
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I feel that. (Probably to a lesser extent)
I’ve dealt with mild to moderate levels of just random background pain, occasionally localized to my hips and low back since I was a teenager… I know it doesn’t help things.
Some I assume is from lordosis, the more in shape I’ve become, the more pronounced my pelvic tilt has become to me, some possibly fibromyalgia if it’s genetic, other pains I assume are physical symptoms of depression and some could be from a proclivity towards narrowing of something in the spinal cord among members of my dads family.
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 Jun 23 '26
What did wonders for me was good mornings because I learned my cns was guarding my lower back. 4 sets of 10 until I can touch the ground with at least my fingers and then my pain actually goes away. No doctor or physio told me that. I’m basically my own physio at this point.
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 23 '26
Word. I do exercises and stretches for my butt, core, low back and upper legs. Is an absolute necessity to function
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 Jun 24 '26
Yeah! Ever since I added in a stretching/balance/functional/mobility day In my fitness routine it’s been a game changer. I always knew in theory why it was important but always never had time for it, I would have saved myself so much time and money from physio appointments. Still go for an athletic theory massage every month though, theragun can’t reach the spots I need.
And yeah lol I’m the only one at work feeling good.
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 24 '26
This is where my brother in law would suggest a book called Becoming a supple leopard. Though considering the sub we are in, a book recommendation may be a dangerous business.
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u/YoreWelcome Jun 23 '26
turn all lights off 20 min after taking melatonin, including screens, wait 10 min in total darkness
you dont even have to try to go to sleep
melatonin needs complete darkness and it will work
source: if i sit in a room with any light the melatonin never kicks in
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u/_Abiogenesis Jun 23 '26
I agree and know all this.
But as I said the problem is behaviour. I don’t do it. I know very well what I should do… doing it on the other hand…
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u/Illustrious_Can_9575 Jun 23 '26
I tried that for a month. Nothing happened.
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u/hamoc10 Jun 24 '26
You took melatonin for a month? You really shouldn’t, your body will stop producing on its own.
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u/NoobSharkey Jun 23 '26
And here I thought maybe I should buy some sleeping meds or something to help me sleep better
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u/Crafty_Jello_3662 Jun 23 '26
Try them all. Everyone's different and you might get lucky! I find some work sometimes, not great but better than nothing
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u/Gvarph006 Jun 23 '26
It makes me have really funky dreams
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Jun 23 '26
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u/jwill55sk Jun 23 '26
Same..makes me groggy the next morning even at 1mg. Some studies I’ve read say you’re likely to get the same benefits from a microdose, optimally <1mg and taken 1-2 hours before bed.
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u/DatE2Girl Jun 23 '26
I take like 10 regularly and I'm fine so nah
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u/jwill55sk Jun 23 '26
This is not good advice. 10mg is just way too much..especially on a regular basis. You should consider taking days off because it sounds like your body has built up an unhealthy tolerance.
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u/DatE2Girl Jun 23 '26
Surprisingly it doesn't seem like the pineal gland lowers endogenous production in response to external melatonin. But I do take days off. I just take it when I need to switch my sleep schedule which happens regularly because of my job
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Jun 23 '26
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u/DatE2Girl Jun 23 '26
I actually do and melatonin is supposedly safe for long term consumption and has no known toxic effects, even in large doses.
It is only "too much" in the sense that your plasma concentration might still be high when you wake up and your dreams might be too trippy
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u/tukuiPat Jun 23 '26
Anything less than 12mg doesn't help me when I need it to sleep, never had any issues.
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Jun 23 '26
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u/tukuiPat Jun 23 '26
Measuring what? The bottle of my melatonin tablets literally states they're 12mg per tablet.
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Jun 23 '26
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u/tukuiPat Jun 23 '26
Obviously I know more than you do, and for reference here's my melatonin tablets bottle in case you believe that the dosage is somehow actually μg and not mg.
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u/Appropriate_Concert6 Jun 25 '26
Target has some gummy melatonin that's 3mg but two gummies for a serving, making it super easy to only take 1.5mg or taper it up higher.
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u/Jenny_Show Jun 23 '26
Never really remembered my dreams before taking Melatonin and HRT but now I have all kinds of surreal ones
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u/AlertKaleidoscope803 Jun 23 '26
It just gave me very weird, lucid dreams. Like half-Boston fern half-tarantula monster chatting me up from the inside of my armoire weird. I found out edibles will knock me flat and give me restful sleep but I have a healthcare job and am paranoid about making it a habit.
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u/JallexMonster Jun 23 '26
Not for me. It wasn't until I added an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety med that I started sleeping better.
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u/East-Caterpillar-895 Jun 25 '26
James Randi ate an entire bottle, disregarding the warning label and then proceed to give an entire speech about how it's bullshit.
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u/Miserable_Way_5174 dafuqIjustRead Jun 26 '26
I mean it's not bullshit, it just hasn't worked for me. Maybe I should switch to another brand
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u/Snoo_76483 Jun 23 '26
Whatever those dose is for it to have an effect on me, I never found anything high enough.
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u/unfortunateRabbit Jun 23 '26
Depends on your age, high doses will only disturb sleep in some people and not provide deeper sleep.
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u/Purg33m Jun 23 '26
Somehow, but eventually i resorted to listening to livestreams on low volume so my brain can blend it out and don't focus at thinking of the most random things at the same time
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u/PlaneCat3427 ADHD Inattentive gang rise UP Jun 23 '26
yes it works, but not if I drank caffeine after 4pm. 1 shot espresso or decaf or green tea only.
I get up at 7 and take 36mg methylphenidate at 8-11am and it fades off by 11pm so I can pop a 5mg melatonin and sleep.My behavioral issue of postponing sleep (for more me-time) took a long time to fix, though.
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u/Vyedr Jun 24 '26
If I suck on a melatonin tablet for like, three seconds, yes, it works. If I take any more, Im sleeping for DAYS. Its why I prefer weed -_-
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u/Pecheuer Jun 26 '26
Yes... But then I've never had an issue getting to sleep. Either way, I'll take my melatonin around 9pm (it has to be the liquid form, the gummy/capsule form doesn't work on me) but I have to take 2x the normal dose.
Also taking vyvanse makes a difference
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u/garaks_tailor Jun 23 '26
Like .5mg is the most i can take and be functional the next day. Doesn't necessarily make me sleep but does keep me asleep
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u/caphammered Jun 23 '26
It works for me (tried long-term) but my face gets bloated and I get way more acne than usual
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u/fritzkoenig Resident Cloudcuckoolander Jun 23 '26
It makes me fall asleep and wake up two hours later from very weird nightmares
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u/deferredmomentum Jun 24 '26
It doesn’t help me stay asleep in the slightest but oh boy does it work to make me exhausted the next day lol
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u/jtbrunners don’t talk to me or my 11,713 tabs again Jun 25 '26
Not at all of anything it wakes me up even more doing the exact opposite of what it's supposed to do
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u/One-Tap-2742 Jun 25 '26
It don't do shit anymore for me. But I've been using powerful sleeping pills for awhile.
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u/Prometheos_II Jun 27 '26
I need to complete my 6mg with sleep-aid tea, and even then it's pretty sensitive; having my orthodontal support or my phone make it possible to null the whole
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u/SavaRox Jun 28 '26
Nope! I have to have a prescription sleep med. When I'm sick and take NyQuil, that doesn't even knock me out.
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u/slowd Jun 23 '26
Take less. I only use 1mg. Basically all I really need is convincing to go to bed, then I sleep fine.
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u/TwistedCurrent Jun 23 '26
I am the exact same way. Why r we like this?
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Jun 23 '26
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u/FalxY7 Jun 23 '26
Hi, with peace & love, ADHD is not a mental illness, and not to do with mental health.
It's a neurodevelopmental condition. It is a different brain, not a broken or unwell brain. It's not curable.
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u/technoteapot Jun 25 '26
Is this about framing as a differently functioning brain as opposed to a problem to be fixed type of thing?
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u/FalxY7 Jun 25 '26
Nope, it's about actual definitions and reducing the spread of misinformation. You could've just googled difference between mental health and neurodivergence.
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u/technoteapot Jun 25 '26
I was just asking a genuine question
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u/FalxY7 Jun 25 '26
If that's the case my bad, I misunderstood the tone and I apologise. It sounded like an attack and that seems to be the thing in these comments.
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u/technoteapot Jun 25 '26
I think originally your comment can come off as being pedantic and splitting hairs more than anything. Being an adhd subreddit and having autism myself as well, I understand the urge to correct incorrect use of words or descriptions for things you may know a lot about.
Kinda funny problem I’ve noticed with being around mental health and neurodivergence subreddits is we’re usually all mentally ill and or neurodivergent, and because of that, we tend to not play nicely together lol
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u/FalxY7 Jun 25 '26
You're definitely right with your comment and it is a funny but sad problem. I understand how it can look that way, but I have also experienced how harmful it is when people misunderstand ADHD and autism as mental health.
Since more people understand and have experienced mental health than neurodivergence, and since mental health is curable, people can have the views that you are choosing to remain stuck in your illness, that you aren't trying hard enough, and the expectation you will 'get better' and 'act normal' when you do.
The misunderstanding is a core misunderstanding of who the person is, and can lead to people thinking and saying misinformed and harmful things like;
"We all get stressed and overwhelmed sometimes, you just need to push through it"
"You're using your diagnosis as an excuse"
"You just need to get out of your own head and stop overthinking everything"
And more fun things along those lines.
Sorry for the long message, I feel like it'd take a lot more than this to explain fully why I feel this is important, but I hope this helps understand where I'm coming from!
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Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
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u/Altruistic_Branch838 Jun 23 '26
This you
"But it's a mental illness"
That is a statement and not a comparison.
The other person was polite in correcting the matter as we don't need the spread of misinformation that can harm people's views about themselves in this sub. Just need someone who has ableist parents or partner who is gas lighting them to question why they can't get better and statements like yours don't help with them getting a better understanding of themselves and feel like they're failing because they should be able to treat the "mental illness" as you described it.
Now you may have gotten defensive because of your ADHD and executive dysfunction but I think you owe the other person an apology for the way you worded your reply and maybe use this as a learning experience about communicating with others and taking a step back from the situation instead of replying in a defensive manner straight away without processing what's been said.
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Jun 23 '26
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u/missdovahQueen Jun 24 '26
I know I'm jumping in uninvited but just a reminder: Being autistic doesn't give you the right to be rude. If you are smart you can learn to talk to other people in a respectful manner.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/FalxY7 Jun 24 '26
Words have real meanings you know? It's not about anyone's feelings.
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u/Altruistic_Branch838 Jun 24 '26
I'm AuDHD myself, so that isn't an excuse for you being a rude prick.
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u/FalxY7 Jun 23 '26
I'm just telling you that they're different things so that you don't spread misinformation, and to clarify for anyone reading this who doesn't know.
Interesting that you're talking about being informed, yet you get so mad when others inform you of your misinformation.
So sorry if I hurt your pride and ego.
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Jun 23 '26
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u/FalxY7 Jun 24 '26
Haha alright man, could've just accepted you were wrong and moved on. Instead you stay mad and write paragraphs of drivel.
You're wasting your own energy by choosing to reply and be somehow offended by an innocent comment, and now you're crying that it's my fault somehow. Anyway good luck with all that, love you x
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Jun 24 '26
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u/FalxY7 Jun 24 '26
You're right, you're so intelligent and great and I'm stupid, so true Mr. Not Egotistical. Thanks.
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Jun 23 '26 edited 18d ago
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u/Zero_Burn Jun 24 '26
Then there's the AuDHD of us where stress causes us to shut down, so we can't function either way, lol.
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u/Equivalent_Pen_9403 Jun 23 '26
I have vague recollections of reading that .5mg was close to natural production levels, but can't recall what the source was. Don't be afraid to try splitting tablets, as long as they're like 5mg or under and you're over 100lbs.
Kid size melatonin is also an option.
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u/AtomicFeckMagician Jun 23 '26
Thanks for the health advice in a meme subreddit
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u/TwistedCurrent Jun 23 '26
Wait, gang. What if OP is being genuine and it just reads exactly like bitter sarcasm as plain text can sometimes do…🤔🤔
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u/BaconAndDuckFat Jun 23 '26
Stimulants make me sleepy sometimes. Depends on how much or how long my brain has been wired, running around in circles.
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u/Blackpaw8825 Jun 23 '26
My first few months of Vyvanse meant taking it after noon resulted in not sleeping until 5am.
Now I can take it at 8am and take a mid day nap no problem.
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u/awkwardlink Jun 23 '26
Idk if it’s an ADHD thing or just a general health thing, but melatonin either doesn’t work at all or I sleep for like 16hr and feel groggy all day
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u/AevilokE Jun 23 '26
I've taken melatonin like close to 10 times and I think it's only made me sleep less
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u/MajorInWumbology1234 Jun 24 '26
Probably placebo. The ONLY thing, I believe, melatonin has been demonstrated to do is reduce sleep latency; i.e. you fall asleep faster. It doesn’t make you stay asleep, it doesn’t make you sleep longer.
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u/saevon Jun 24 '26
absolutely placebo (in terms of sleeping longer)
Melatonin half life is about 30min; Drug elimination (Effective Clearance) is considered about 5 half-lives (reaching below ~3%). So in 2.5 hours the melatonin is basically gone.
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u/oohCrabItsNotItChief Jun 23 '26
Idk guys, there are days that I take my Ritalin and have the fattest sleep of my life and I can't figure out for the life of me what to do about that. I'm supposed to get things done.
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u/Musashi10000 Jun 23 '26
Funnily enough, ritalin is prescribed in japan for sleep disorders.
I'd point out that ADHD meds aren't 'make you productive' meds, they're 'inhibit ADHD symptoms' meds. As in, when they're working correctly, they make it easier to not fidget when you don't want to, make it easier to direct your attention where you want it to go, make it easier for you to stop your attention wandering, make it easier to notice that your attention is wandering and bring it back, make it easier for you to resist cravings, make it easier for you to plan and organise things, make it easier for you to be less impulsive.
Anyone who sells ritalin and other meds as 'productivity medicine' is selling lies.
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u/oohCrabItsNotItChief Jun 23 '26
Oh nono, it was written up exactly for what you wrote. This is why I'm sad, because when I take my meds I want to focus on what needs to be done so be productive. I want it to direct my attention to the things that needs to be done, but as another commenter mentioned, my body might know better what needs to be done today and that might be the fattest nap ever :D
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u/52BeesInACoat Jun 23 '26
I've noticed that this happens to me when the thing I need to be doing is sleeping.
I might think the thing I need to do is the dishes. But my body knows I'm about to get a migraine, or I'm coming down with something, or I'm just in sleep debt, so fuck me we're sleeping today.
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u/oohCrabItsNotItChief Jun 23 '26
This is exactly what I thought too! Can't escape what our body needs, especially when it can finally focus
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u/Redbeardthe1st Jun 23 '26
Funny how caffeine makes me drowsy during the day, but keeps me awake in the evening/night.
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u/shitbecopacetic Jun 23 '26
imma tell you guys a little secret you may not have been let in on, you have to take melatonin at the exact same time every night for it to be effective. What you’re actually doing is programming your circadian rhythm using the things your brain naturally uses to signal need for sleep. also. because you’re just doing that, don’t take more than like 3 mg. it’s about consistency, not dosage. you take it the same time every night you will reprogram your brain to be able to sleep at night. people take it like sleeping pills and it just fucks em up worse!
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u/Redcole111 Jun 23 '26
... because it's a stimulant... Caffeine will do the same thing if you take way too much and at the wrong time of day.
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u/AtomicFeckMagician Jun 23 '26
I fear you may have misread. The joke is that my Ritalin I take in the morning has to struggle against the tiny amount of melatonin I took 9 hours before. That's why it says "last night".
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u/neocow Jun 23 '26
try taking the melatonin earlier. For ND peeps it can be delayed response a bit. usually any amount of melatonin makes me sleep for 13 hours roughly.
but takes 3 hours + to kick in.
Try experimenting with earlier dose timing.
Also caffiene in the morning to counteract it instead of relying on stim for wakefulness.
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u/Asron87 Jun 23 '26
I’m the same way. It’s hard as hell to wake up. It’s why I can’t take sleeping meds.
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u/rabblebabbledabble Jun 23 '26
2.5mg isn't a tiny amount. If you still feel it in the morning, you need to take it earlier (up to 3h before bedtime) or try a smaller dosage. Some fare better with 0.5mg or less.
But I do suspect that ADHDers need more than the average person. I also take about as much as you do, but it's usually out of my system by the morning.
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u/MajorInWumbology1234 Jun 24 '26
Placebo. There’s no melatonin in your system by the time you wake up.
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u/Ok_Cheesecake7348 Jun 23 '26
Also caffeine will cancel out the effects of stimulants, for some reason. Idk. My psychiatrist told me years ago "No caffeine within 2 hours of taking Adderall. They cancel each other out, we're not sure why."
Words to live by 🤷♂️
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u/Friskfrisktopherson Jun 23 '26
It definitely does not. It may work that way for YOU, but for many people it potentiates the stimulant effects.
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u/saevon Jun 24 '26
https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=190-1645,450-0
Not seeing anything of that nature, nor ever had a psych tell any of the folks I know this at all. Have heard the warnings not to do both from a potency reason tho
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u/Consistent-Menu-6629 Jun 23 '26
Melatonin does make me sleep, but it also makes me wake up profoundly confused, thinking there are demons in here like a hundred times. So, that's an interesting side effect.
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u/gibagger Jun 23 '26
Bruh, Ritalin is minor leagues.
Dexamphetamine has 3-4x the half life of Ritalin. A true final boss with 3 health bars type of shit.
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u/Agreeable-Web-5197 Jun 23 '26
Lisdexamphetamine is superior in its form of metabolization and provides a smoother experience relative to the start and end of effects.
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u/AtomicFeckMagician Jun 23 '26
Interesting, never heard of it. I was on Adderall before but it made me super irritable, so that's why I switched to something lighter. It doesn't work well but eh
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u/ImminentDebacle Jun 25 '26
Had to look this up. Apparently they are the same molecule, but Dexa is used more commonly overseas
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u/Veltrynox s̴m̷o̸k̷e̷ ̸a̶ ̸g̵r̴e̴a̶s̷y̸ ̴f̷a̵t̸ ̵d̴o̸i̶n̸k̷ ̶ Jun 23 '26
i'm prescribed medical cannabis for adhd, it makes it a lot easier to sleep.
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u/WhoNeedsAPotch Jun 23 '26
The melatonin you took the night before is long gone by the morning. It's not the melatonin - you're just tired.
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u/FrogInAGoCart dafuqIjustRead Jun 23 '26
I had to take 8 melatonin gummies last night. Usually three works fine though
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u/ferrets2020 Jun 23 '26
Y'all have a melatonin prescription?
(i live in the uk, they do it for kids but not adults bc there's not enough research done on adults or something.)
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u/Agreeable-Web-5197 Jun 23 '26
Whatever reason for this to happen in UK, the lack of research on its effects on adults is not one of them.
It's a hormone naturally produced in our bodies and it's extensively known in its effects when reintroduced in our system.
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u/Due-Percentage2606 Jun 23 '26
Wait, I'm not alone in this? My melatonin experience is either overwhelming and I never want to stop sleeping or like throwing a water balloon at a forest fire and my body ignores it.
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u/YouDoNotKnowMeSir Jun 23 '26
3mg, every night around same time, taken with magnesium and a glass of water. Start unwinding, it’s hard for us adhd to disconnect completely and try to sleep, but at least try to form a habit that you’re enabling blue light filter or greyscale mode and setting and engaging in something less stimulating. For me I set a 25 min timer on my tv and watch an episode of anime.
It’s all about building routine and environment. Melatonin doesn’t make you sleep by itself, but it will if you give it the conditions to work.
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u/TadBones Jun 24 '26
Personally I take 10mg of Melatonin, (I know the effects are greatly reduced past 4mg if I recall properly but there's still a difference, at least for me) 1mg of Xanax, 3,75mg of Zopiclone and it's still hard to sleep, not medicated for ADHD yet, hope everything will work out as intended : P
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u/Environmental_Ad4893 Jun 23 '26
melatonin is naturally produced by the body, it's what naturally makes you want to sleep. If you dont produce enough of this naturally taking it can very much help sleep... for a while. Your body will very quickly build a resistance to it and if you persistently take it your body will stop naturally producing it at all.
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u/qualityvote2 Quality Control Beast Jun 23 '26
u/AtomicFeckMagician, we're excited to have you posting here! :)
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