I agree with everyone else that it is a good idea to work on the sleep issues before bringing in medication. Sleep disturbances are notorious for looking like ADHD/behavior issues. And you can always take the further step of adding medication at a later point when you are confident that other issues have been ruled out.
Several things that might be disturbing his sleep that you may want to consider:
- sleep apnea (does he snore? toss and turn a lot? maybe throw up for seemingly no reason at night?)
- ear infections (maybe evident in coughing more when he lays down since fluid buildup putting pressure on the eardrum can cause a reflexive cough)
- a distracting environment (room not completely dark, noises that could maybe be covered with a fan or other white noise, toys within his view when he is laying in bed, a t.v. or other electronics close to bed time)
What is his general routine throughout the day? Do you have a very consistent sleeping/eating/activity schedule and bedtime routine? Do you think he has a fairly consistent blood-sugar level throughout the day?
Can you tell us a little bit more about this new class he is in? Was he having these issues before he was in this class? Do you think his behavior is tied specifically to school and/or the new class, or do you see things at home as well?
