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Clinical and sleep profile of children with specific learning disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or

Julien Lioret1, Marion Comajuan2, Sabine Plancoulaine2

  • 1Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Physiologie Intégrative des Systèmes D'éveil du Cerveau, Equipe Waking, Bron, 69500, France; Unité du sommeil pédiatrique, Centre de Référence National pour la Narcolepsie, Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; Unité de Recherche Clinique, Medipôle Hôpital Mutualiste (MHM), Villeurbanne, France.

Sleep Medicine
|July 3, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Children with specific learning disorders (SLD) experience more daytime sleepiness and fragmented sleep than those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This highlights the need for thorough sleep evaluations in children with SLD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), especially ADHD.
  • Sleep patterns in children with specific learning disorders (SLD) are not well understood.
  • This study investigates sleep in children with SLD, ADHD, and comorbid SLD-ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare clinical and polysomnographic (PSG) sleep profiles.
  • To analyze sleep complaints and objective PSG parameters.
  • To identify differences in sleep characteristics among SLD, ADHD, and SLD-ADHD groups.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective multicenter study of 146 children (aged 6-18).
  • Classification into SLD (n=60), SLD-ADHD (n=50), and ADHD (n=36) groups.
  • Analysis of clinical data, sleep complaints, French Sleepiness Scale (FSSA), and PSG parameters.

Main Results:

  • Higher FSSA scores (daytime sleepiness) in SLD and SLD-ADHD groups compared to ADHD (p=0.01).
  • More frequent insomnia complaints in the ADHD group (58.3%) vs. SLD groups (26.7%).
  • SLD and SLD-ADHD groups showed increased NREM sleep fragmentation, higher respiratory arousal indices, and more periodic limb movements.

Conclusions:

  • Children with SLD report greater subjective daytime sleepiness and exhibit more NREM sleep fragmentation than those with ADHD.
  • Despite fewer insomnia complaints, SLD is linked to significant sleep issues.
  • Systematic sleep assessment is crucial for children with SLD presenting with sleep complaints.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderNeurodevelopmental disordersPediatricsPolysomnographySleepSpecific learning disorders

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