ADHD and Diet: My Brain Wants Sugar, But I Want to Sleep

Okay. It's 10:47 PM. I've already eaten. I've had some herbal tea. I've done my evening routine. And then... my brain says, "Hey... what if we have something sweet? Just a small square of dark chocolate. Or a cake. Or... the whole kitchen." And I'm like, "No way, I want to SLEEP!" And that's when the big internal battle begins.

Welcome to the happy world of ADHD, where your brain runs on dopamine and hasn't read the nighttime rest manual.

My brain, that hyperactive sweet troll

When you have ADHD, you naturally lack dopamine. It's that magical little neurotransmitter that regulates motivation, pleasure, attention... In short, everything that allows you to function without spinning around like a disco ball on caffeine.

And guess what? Sugar actually stimulates the release of dopamine. So when your brain is struggling for energy or reward, it does what a kid in a supermarket does: it craves sugar. In a big way. Right away. Unfiltered.

The problem is that sugar prevents you from sleeping properly. It disrupts your blood sugar, excites your nervous system, sets off a hormonal roller coaster, and sends your melatonin (the sleep hormone) into a tailspin. The result: you stay awake, you ruminate... and there you go again.

Eating in the evening is not gluttony, it is neurological survival.

For a long time, I thought I was just a big foodie. But no. I finally understood that my nighttime cravings weren't a question of willpower or weakness. It was a message from my brain saying, "I need relief, an anchor, a little fix to keep me going."

Because in addition to the lack of dopamine, ADHD is often accompanied by overstimulation. At the end of the day, after having dealt with a thousand things (or feeling guilty about not having dealt with them), the brain explodes with overload. And then... it craves its little sweet dose to gently come down. Even if it messes up your entire sleep cycle.

Attempts at “good student” that failed

I've tried everything. Dietary routines, scheduled meals, relaxing herbal teas, meditating with singing dolphins. I even tried plain tofu as a nighttime snack (I cried).

Every time, I hit the same wall because my brain wouldn't cooperate. It was too smart. It waited for the moment of weakness, that little evening slackening, to demand its strawberry tart like a devilish child.

What started working for me

The real revolution was to give in... but consciously .

Yes, you read that right. I allowed myself an evening snack. But not just any snack. Not the packet of cookies devoured standing in the kitchen by the light of the fridge.

I've prepared a little ritual: a comforting hot drink (often a plant-based milk with a little cinnamon), a small portion of something nourishing (almonds, homemade applesauce, oatmeal), and I settle down quietly with a blanket and some music. My brain thinks it's won. And I sleep.

Another tip: boost dopamine differently during the day . Because the more satisfied my brain is during the day, the less it gives me the sugar bug in the evening. This involves simple things like walking in nature, dancing to a silly song, checking off mini-goals, creating something, talking to myself kindly. And above all, not judging myself .

Sleeping with an ADHD brain is possible (but you have to negotiate)

Today, I still live with this inner conflict. There are nights when I give in. Others when I anticipate. Others when I put on a podcast about constellations and fall asleep before the voice says “hello.”

But most of all, I learned to listen to my body without punishing it , to respond to my brain's needs without poisoning it , and to tell myself that I'm not broken, just wired differently. And with a little cunning, love, and dark chocolate (85% minimum), we can get through it.