Sleep disturbances in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: State of the art and management

Sleep disorders are a frequent comorbidity in patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), from childhood through adulthood. These disturbances include sleep-related complaints such as insomnia symptoms and daytime sleepiness, as well as well-defined sleep pathologies such as sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders. These disturbances have a significant impact on cognition, emotional regulation, and patients' quality of life. Sleep disorders thus maintain a bidirectional relationship with ADHD: on the one hand, altered sleep can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, and on the other hand, ADHD also affects sleep regulation. Given these challenges, a precise characterization of sleep disorders - from a developmental perspective, spanning childhood to adulthood - is essential, particularly with regard to the timing of symptoms. Such an evaluation will in turn enable appropriate management of this comorbidity, using both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches.