DS13 used to walk around like a Zombie for an hour or two after he woke up in the morning. He never seemed to get sleepy in the evening, just more and more wound up. I had heard that 'gifted kids just don't need as much sleep' and didn't stress over it. And yes, all the teachers at school did think that he had ADHD.
A few years ago, I finally broke down and tried him on the Melitonin. Our Pediatrician was ok with us trying it. Scary how well it worked. It also helped him stay asleep. We could totally tell on the nights he missed a dose. Over the last few months he seems to not need it anymore, especially if we get him to bed at a reasonable hour, but now he can get alert and out the door within 30 minutes if necessary. If we let him stay up too late, he gets too wound up to fall asleep, and too mean to put to bed. Weirdly, he obeys much better at 9:30 than at 10:30. It is as though the 'good sense' got turned off at 9:30 and all that is left is the anxiety.
Best Wishes,
Grinity
