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Impact of sleep restriction on neurobehavioral functioning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Reut Gruber1, Sabrina Wiebe, Lisa Montecalvo

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. reut.gruber@douglas.mcgill.ca

Sleep
|March 2, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Six nights of moderate sleep restriction negatively impacted neurobehavioral functioning (NBF) in children with ADHD and healthy controls. Children with ADHD showed clinical impairment in attention after sleep restriction.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
  • Sleep disturbances are frequently observed in children with ADHD.
  • The impact of cumulative sleep restriction on neurobehavioral functioning (NBF) in children, particularly those with ADHD, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the cumulative effects of 6 nights of 1-hour nightly sleep restriction on NBF.
  • To compare the impact of sleep restriction on children with ADHD versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Forty-three children (7-11 years; 11 ADHD, 32 controls) underwent 6 nights of actigraphy for baseline sleep monitoring.
  • Participants then restricted sleep by 1 hour nightly for 6 consecutive nights.
  • Neurobehavioral functioning was assessed using the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT) at baseline and after sleep restriction.

Main Results:

  • Sleep restriction worsened CPT scores in two-thirds of outcome measures for both groups.
  • Children with ADHD exhibited a decline from subclinical to clinical levels of inattention on two-thirds of CPT measures.
  • Healthy controls also showed significant performance decrements.

Conclusions:

  • Moderate sleep restriction has a discernible negative effect on NBF in both children with ADHD and healthy controls.
  • Sleep restriction can lead to clinically significant attention impairments in children with ADHD.
  • Findings highlight the importance of adequate sleep for cognitive function in pediatric populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
ADHDContinuous Performance Testchildrensleep restriction

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