Children With ADHD Prone to Sleep Disorders?

Sleep is vital to mental, emotional, physical, and overall health. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however, may be more prone to sleep disorders. In addition, the symptoms of ADHD may be worsened in children with sleep problems.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological disorders in children. As a multifactorial disorder, ADHD can affect and be affected by several aspects of health, including sleep. Of note, sleep disorders are associated with behavioral problems, irritability, and emotional instability, which may be indicative of ADHD.

One study examined the potential link between ADHD and sleep disorders. Researchers evaluated data from 100 children aged 4 to 16 years who visited the Children’s Cognitive Sleep Clinic and Child Health Clinic at a hospital associated with the Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China, from September 2020 to December 2021. Researchers used the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire to assess sleep problems and the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV Scale (SNAP-IV) questionnaire to assess ADHD.

Out of the 100 children included in the study, 66 were found to have suspected ADHD. The prevalence of sleep disorders in children with and without ADHD was significantly different (p=0.018). Children with ADHD had significantly higher SDSC scores than children without ADHD, and children with sleep disorders had higher SNAP-IV scores than children without sleep disorders. In addition, children with sleep disorders exhibited more ADHD symptoms than children without sleep disorders.

The analysis ultimately showed a correlation between ADHD and sleep disorders in children. The presence of ADHD symptoms was also linked to the severity of sleep disorders. Mental health clinicians should assess sleep problems in children during the diagnostic and treatment stages of ADHD. Improving sleep through behavioral sleep interventions may be an effective strategy to improve symptoms of ADHD in children.

Source:
Yin, H., Yang, D., Yang, L., & Wu, G. (2022). Relationship between sleep disorders and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder in children. Front Pediatr, 10, 919572. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.919572

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