Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Sleep Disorders in Children
Section snippets
Clinical features and epidemiology of ADHD
ADHD is a common childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder, with reported prevalence rates of between 5% and 12% in school-aged children.1, 2, 3 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) (DSM-IV), Text Revision,4 ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that begin before the age of 7 years and causes impairment to age-appropriate academic performance, intellectual functioning,
General Considerations
In recent years, there has been growing interest in sleep problems associated with ADHD. Sleep problems are reported in an estimated 25% to 50% of children and adolescents with ADHD.10 Some sleep disorders, such as periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), are associated with inattention11 and hyperactivity,11, 12 which are often mistaken for the symptoms seen in ADHD.11, 12 Symptoms of ADHD and sleep disorders overlap, and ADHD and sleep problems cause
Summary
ADHD-related symptoms and the diagnosis of ADHD are frequently associated with sleep problems/disorders, such as PLMS, RLS, SDB, and insomnia, but not with parasomnia. To avoid inappropriate diagnosis and inadequate management, mental health professionals should assess sleep problems and disorders in children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD-related symptoms and in those with a diagnosis of ADHD, regardless of DSM-IV subtypes and severity of current ADHD symptoms.109 Screening for other
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Sleep Predicts Collegiate Academic Performance: Implications for Equity in Student Retention and Success
2020, Sleep Medicine ClinicsCitation Excerpt :Fragmented sleep and increased wake after sleep onset serves as a transdiagnostic imbalance in the arousal system, and alterations in delta power and rapid eye movement sleep pressure are present in most mental illnesses other than seasonal affective disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).82 Attention disorders are characterized by shorter TSTs,83 but, because the symptoms of chronic insufficient sleep mirror ADHD, it can be difficult to dissociate the two diagnostically.84 Fragmented sleep, sleep hallucinations, and insomnia symptoms are linked with student reports of psychosislike experiences.85
Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
2015, Seminars in Pediatric NeurologyCitation Excerpt :Co-occurring psychiatric comorbidities in ADHD can also disrupt sleep. For example, oppositional disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, learning disorders, tics, and Tourette syndrome, are common in ADHD and contribute to and magnify sleep disorders in ADHD.139 Sleep problems in ADHD may also stem from a manifestation of their intrinsic, core ADHD symptoms.
Sleep in Children with Psychiatric Disorders
2013, Encyclopedia of SleepSleep in Children with Psychiatric Disorders
2013, Encyclopedia of SleepControl of sleep and wakefulness in health and disease
2013, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational ScienceCitation Excerpt :Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often treated with medications that increase noradrenergic tone (e.g., methylphenidate, d-/l-amphetamine), effectively moving people from inattentiveness to normal attention. It has been hypothesized that a significant number of children who are diagnosed with ADHD are misdiagnosed as such and are actually suffering from a disruption to their sleep as caused by obstructive sleep apnea or insufficient sleep opportunity.9 Reduction in sleep can cause the same type of inattentiveness and hyperactivity (often referred to as paradoxical hyperactivity, as it is thought to be a method by which the brain is attempting to rectify low noradrenergic tone in the presence of or despite excessive sleepiness).
Sleep and Sleep Problems in Children with Psychiatric Disorders
2012, Therapy in Sleep Medicine