DS age 6 with suspected ADHD sleep problems

[Cheesespaghetti]

My DS is 6, almost 7 and has never been a good sleeper. As a baby and toddler he hardly napped and his sleep was very poor. One of the main reasons we decided to stop at just 1 child.

He doesn’t go to sleep until 9pm most nights. We take him up earlier than that for a story and then he listens to his tonie box for a while.

This morning he was up at 5:30am, despite it being the school holidays. Most of the time he’s awake before 6am.
He also comes to wake us up too , so I’m constantly shattered, as is DH.

Surely 6/7 year old should be getting more than 8.5/9 hours sleep a night?! He also never seems tired , he doesn’t fall asleep in the car or anything like that, he’s also always on the go. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done during the day (he always gets lots of fresh air, walks and exercise) he never seems tired.
Once he’s asleep he very rarely wakes up in the night.

Some children just sleep less than others. My 5 year old dd is similar, she’s regularly awake until 9.30pm and up at 6ish. She’s also suspected ADHD. Fwiw I have ASD and ADHD and I’ve always been a terrible sleeper, I never grew out of it.

I don't know, my DS (just turned 7) is the same. He does sleep in a bit later but often doesn't manage to fall asleep until 10 or later. Never has more than 9 hours and is always full of beans. No ADHD or anything

Neither of mine slept well. Eldest referred for asd and adhd.
youngest only started sleeping through at 3.5yo. Sleeps 10-7:30/8am now at 10.

asd also causes sleep issues.

is he just active or impulsive and concentration issues.?

reading to himself could make him more sleepy?

is he using devices up til 9 when he goes up as can block melatonin secretion.?

obviously lack of sleep can cause behaviour issues, make them more hyper etc.

He doesn’t use a device up until 9pm.

We have stories from 8pm and then he listens to his tonie box.

He’s impulsive, struggles to maintain attention and concentration at school unless it’s something he’s very interested or hyper focused on.

If you can get him to read to himself rather than listening as its likely to make him sleepier.
Do you find he concentrates on listening to the stories as mine are both hyper and trying to read to youngest is very hard full of constant interruptions

In terms of increasing sleep things like magnesium can help. But obviously some kids are referred by gp to paeds for melatonin.
Some foods can affect levels i think maybe turkey, bananas etc?

I have ADHD as do 3 of mine.

For the kids when younger (now adults!) they need to stop screens by about 5pm. Get lots of exercise every day (at 6 about 2 hours of outside play and running around).
Eat by 5.30pm. lots of slow burn food, no pudding for dinner (ok after school).
Then start winding down about 6pm. Bath some nights, quiet games, colouring in. Then I would read about 5 stories or a chapter as they got older, then they would look at books a
And read as they got older. Low lights from 7ish.
In the morning come he'll or high water no one was allowed to get up before the star light (on a timer between 7 and 8 depending if we had gone out) was allowed out of bed. They could read in bed but that was it. Worked very well.