Children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and who are not being treated with medication are more likely to have sleep problems, according to Canadian research recently published in the journal Sleep. These problems include getting enough total sleep and getting enough REM sleep.
Fifteen children with ADHD, who were not being treated with medication, and a comparison group of 23 normal children were evaluated. All were between 7 and 11 years old and had not had any caffeine in the week prior to the test. They were evaluated with a portable device which allowed the sleep studies to be conducted at home.
According to the results, those with ADHD slept less (499 minutes compared to 533 minutes in the control group) and had reduced REM sleep (84 minutes compared to 100 minutes). Parental questionnaires also indicated significantly more problems with sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, and increased daytime sleepiness.
For those with children suffering from ADHD, it may also be important to have their sleep formally evaluated.
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