As much as I hate to admit it, my mom was right about a lot of things, not everything, but a lot of things. Moms are like that. Much of what they are right about are things that are especially important for those of us with ADHD. Here are eight things your mom was probably right about.

Life with an ADHDer is not always easy, but it is rarely boring. I was reflecting recently about all of the ADHD things I do that will one affect my future wife. I have compiled this list in the hopes that it might inspire you to warn your future spouse about life with you. If you are already married, feel free to enjoy the craziness that follows.

I recently read (okay, listened to the audiobook of) Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by renowned sleep researcher Matthew Walker, PhD. IT. BLEW. MY. MIND. Sleep is crazy important. Because I read that book (okay, listened to that audiobook), I made several changes to my life. My sleep schedule is now quite strict, and I bought a new bed to ensure maximum comfort. In short, I learned that, if you don’t get eight hours of sleep every night, you’re basically screwed.

The other day, I attended a dinner party and stayed later than I had intended. This led to me being tired the next day. I have been trying to get more sleep, so not only was I tired, but I was also disappointed in myself for staying out so late. This is a problem, and I’m sure I’m not the only ADHDer who struggles with this.

One of the best things you can do for your ADHD brain is to get plenty of sleep, yet many of us ADHDers struggle with getting to sleep. Even if you do stop doing that one more thing and get into your bed at a decent hour, there is a chance your brain will not shut down and go to sleep. It can be frustrating to stare at the clock for hours waiting for your brain to shut down. As it gets later, the pressure to fall asleep grows, and the pressure makes it harder to fall asleep. This can be one of the worst parts of having ADHD. For years, I struggled with falling asleep, only managing to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time when I was extremely tired.