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Sleep hygiene and actigraphically evaluated sleep characteristics in children with ADHD and chronic sleep onset

Kristiaan B van der Heijden1, Marcel G Smits, W Boudewijn Gunning

  • 1Department of Behavioural Research & Clinical Neuropsychology, Centre for Sleep and Wake Disorders, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands. heijdenk@kempenhaeghe.nl

Journal of Sleep Research
|February 24, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children with ADHD and chronic sleep onset insomnia (ADHD-SOI) experience delayed sleep onset and longer sleep latency compared to those without insomnia. However, sleep hygiene practices were similar in both groups.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently associated with sleep disturbances.
  • Sleep onset insomnia (SOI) is a common comorbidity in children with ADHD, impacting daily functioning.
  • Understanding the specific sleep characteristics and hygiene practices in ADHD children with SOI is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare actigraphically evaluated sleep parameters and sleep hygiene in children with ADHD and chronic sleep onset insomnia (ADHD-SOI) versus ADHD children without insomnia (ADHD-noSOI).

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 74 medication-naïve children aged 6-12 years with rigorously diagnosed ADHD-SOI and 23 ADHD-noSOI controls.
  • Actigraphy was used to objectively measure sleep onset, sleep latency, total sleep duration, and actual sleep time.
  • The Children's Sleep Hygiene Scale assessed sleep hygiene practices.

Main Results:

  • Children with ADHD-SOI exhibited significantly later mean sleep onset (21:49h vs 20:41h) and longer sleep latency (00:53h vs 00:26h) compared to ADHD-noSOI controls (P < 0.001 for both).
  • No significant differences were found in total sleep duration or actual sleep time between the two groups.
  • Mean total sleep hygiene scores were similar across both groups (56.4 vs 53.0; P = 0.17), indicating comparable hygiene practices.

Conclusions:

  • Children with ADHD and chronic sleep onset insomnia demonstrate distinct objective sleep patterns, specifically delayed sleep onset and prolonged sleep latency.
  • Despite these sleep differences, sleep hygiene practices appear similar between ADHD children with and without insomnia.
  • Sleep hygiene alone may not be the primary factor differentiating sleep characteristics in this population.

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