I started taking stimulants a month ago for ADHD, and wow. I mean, some of the effects were expected - the increased alertness, the focus, the slight uptick in motivation (I haven’t experienced the full ‘GO GO TAKE CARE OF NORMAL THINGS’ burst that some friends and online folk have had, but I’ve had a little motivation boost, and I’m grateful for every little bit).
But the counterintuitive effects? That I sleep easier and better now than I have in years? That my temper is much reduced because it doesn’t bang at my head like a jackhammer? That I can sit down and relax, because my focus isn’t darting to every little distraction? That I can listen to people talk without wanting to bash my head in because listening is idleness and idleness drove me crazy? The exact opposite of things that I would have expected from taking a stimulant, before I learned that I had ADHD and got put on them?
The human mind is whack
Medicine is fucking witchcraft
I know some ADHD folks have sleep issues, but fortunately, I personally fall asleep very easily and am very difficult to wake up - especially since I got a CPAP to treat the severe sleep apnea. The problem is, I often go to bed way too late, either from having to work after the kids are in bed from procrastinating some task for too long, or literally forgetting what time it is and realizing what time it is 5h before I have to wake up.
Unfortunately I do both. I struggle to sleep, but then I lose track of time and stay awake until the early hours. When I do eventually fall asleep, I often sleep for over ten hours and make it worse.