Time & Scheduling
ADHD and circadian rhythms: is your body clock part of the story?
New research asks whether a shifted body clock is part of ADHD itself. What the evidence does and doesn't show, and what helps without waiting for it.
disclaimer: these posts are not medical advice and provided as information only, with no guarantees
There is a new line of research suggesting that sleep disruption is not only common in people with ADHD, but that the sleep disruption itself, or more precisely a shift in the body's circadian rhythms, may be at the origin of ADHD as a condition.
As far as I can tell, the evidence remains incomplete, and these findings should be treated as an interesting hypothesis rather than fact. Anecdotally, it certainly does seem that, for me and for a lot of the people I know who have ADHD, a difference in circadian rhythms might be playing a role. But the truth is that we probably don't understand either ADHD or the nature of circadian rhythm differences (called "chronotypes" in the scientific literature) well enough to associate them confidently, let alone decide which is the cause and which is the effect, or whether there is a third factor that causes both separately.
Additionally, the effect of ADHD medication has a circadian rhythm component, which is well documented in the literature. There definitely seems to be a connection between the two.
The short version
A hypothesis, not a fact
New research asks whether a shifted body clock is part of ADHD itself. Interesting, but incomplete.
We can't tell cause from effect
It is too early to say which way the link runs, or whether something else causes both.
Medication has a clock too
The effect of ADHD medication has a circadian component, and that part is well documented.
Regularity you can act on now
Get enough sleep and keep your sleep times steady. You do not have to wait for the evidence to settle.
In terms of concrete actions, the ones you can reach for without waiting for the evidence to be fully settled are getting enough sleep and keeping your sleep patterns as regular as possible. That is exactly why we've created a quiet hours feature in the Herding Chickens app, which makes sure you don't get any nudges during the times you normally sleep. Those hours are exactly the same every single day unless you reset them: the same at the weekend and on weekdays, and they stay on your home time when you travel, unless you change your time zone.
Another takeaway from the article is that moods themselves also operate on the circadian clock. It may be worth noticing for yourself whether your moods are particularly positive or negative at specific times of the day, so you can anticipate those phases and plan your tasks accordingly. It is far easier to accomplish something ambitious, or something requiring creativity, at a time when your mood is on the higher side of the spectrum. On the other hand, more routine, maybe even slightly boring things, like administrative tasks, might fit better with the times when your mood is towards the lower side.
One of the features we're considering adding to Herding Chickens in the future is not just planning tasks according to their priority, but also matching them to the energy and mood levels of each user. If that is a feature you would like to see in Herding Chickens, please let us know. We read every message.
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Keep reading
- ADHD bedtime: wind down on a cue, not the perfect hour
- ADHD time blindness: notice the clock without killing hyperfocus
- ADHD one task at a time: why only one main
- More on Time & Scheduling
Herding Chickens is a productivity app in development, not medical advice, therapy, or an ADHD diagnosis. If you are struggling, talk to a qualified clinician. In the UK, start with the NHS ADHD in adults page.