Insomnia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in pediatrics: a checklist for parents

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a commonly diagnosed condition in the pediatric as well as adult psychiatric population. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has undoubtedly been over diagnosed and treated with both stimulants and non-stimulants over the past few decades. Behavior problems in children are commonly noticed both by parents and teachers, leading to the formulation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. Insomnia, on the other hand, is not as readily detected by parents and may result in behavioral problems at school. Several medical conditions responsible for causing insomnia may need to be ruled out before the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is confirmed. In this article, we highlight symptoms common both to insomnia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by development of a checklist to help delineate the two conditions. The purpose of this checklist is to provide informational and educational tools both for parents and teachers to distinguish insomnia from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The ultimate goal of this paper is to improve diagnostic screening for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by excluding conditions such as insomnia that may masquerade as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.