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Disturbed sleep and activity in toddlers with early signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Anne-Katrine F Bundgaard1, Jette Asmussen1, Nadia S Pedersen1

  • 1Research Unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

Journal of Sleep Research
|March 13, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Early signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in toddlers are linked to irregular sleep patterns and reduced daytime activity. These findings highlight potential early indicators for ADHD risk in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder.
  • Early identification of ADHD risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.
  • Sleep disturbances and altered activity levels are potential early markers for ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early signs of ADHD in toddlers and their sleep and activity patterns.
  • To compare sleep and activity metrics between toddlers with ADHD traits and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized actigraphy to objectively measure daytime and nocturnal activity in toddlers over 7 days.
  • Employed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and ADHD Rating Scale IV Preschool Version (ADHD-RS) for case identification and symptom assessment.
  • Administered the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) to parents for subjective sleep evaluation.

Main Results:

  • Toddlers with ADHD traits exhibited significantly less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and more sleep interruptions.
  • Cases demonstrated prolonged total sleep time and increased night-to-night sleep variability compared to controls.
  • Reduced MVPA correlated with higher parent-reported motor activity, while increased sleep variability linked to higher ADHD and sleep disturbance scores.

Conclusions:

  • Early signs of ADHD in toddlers are associated with disrupted sleep patterns and decreased physical activity.
  • Actigraphy provides objective data supporting the link between ADHD traits and altered sleep-activity profiles.
  • Findings suggest potential for developing a preschool ADHD risk index to guide early interventions.

Keywords:
ADHD traitsbehavioural difficultiesnightly variationsobjective actigraphyparent reportssleep pattern

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