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Actigraphic Sleep Pattern of Preschoolers With ADHD

Maria Grazia Melegari1, Elena Vittori2, Luca Mallia1

  • 1Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.

Journal of Attention Disorders
|October 7, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Preschoolers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibit increased motor activity and sleep variability compared to typically developing children. This pilot study highlights significant differences in sleep patterns, emphasizing the need for further research into ADHD and sleep disturbances.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
  • Sleep disturbances are frequently reported in children with ADHD, but objective data in preschoolers is limited.
  • Understanding sleep patterns in early childhood ADHD is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sleep characteristics in preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD.
  • To compare sleep features between children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) peers.
  • To utilize both subjective (questionnaire) and objective (actigraphy) measures for comprehensive sleep assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 25 preschoolers with ADHD and 21 age-matched TD controls.
  • Administered Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Pre-School-Age Psychiatric Assessment.
  • Assessed sleep using a modified Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children and wrist actigraphy for a minimum of 5 days.

Main Results:

  • Children with ADHD showed significantly higher scores on CBCL Withdrawal, Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior.
  • Actigraphy revealed increased nocturnal activity in children with ADHD compared to TD controls.
  • Significant night-to-night variability in sleep duration and motor activity was observed in the ADHD group.

Conclusions:

  • Preschoolers with ADHD demonstrate heightened motor activity during sleep.
  • Children with ADHD exhibit greater variability in sleep duration and activity levels from night to night.
  • These findings suggest objective sleep differences in early childhood ADHD warrant further investigation.

Keywords:
ADHDactigraphypreschool childrensleep

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