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Parental report of sleep problems in children with attentional and learning disorders
A C Marcotte1, P V Thacher, M Butters
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University School of Medicine, USA.
Insights
Parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders report more sleep problems than parents of typically developing children. These sleep issues may worsen behavioral symptoms in conditions like ADHD and learning disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Sleep disturbances are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- The impact of sleep problems on behavioral manifestations requires further investigation.
- Previous research indicates a potential link between sleep and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the frequency and severity of sleep-related problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders versus typically developing children.
- To investigate if sleep problems differ across clinical subgroups such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities (LD), and combined ADHD/LD.
- To determine the clinical significance of sleep-related issues in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Main Methods:
- A research questionnaire was administered to parents of children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (n=79) and a control group of typically developing children (n=86).
- The questionnaire assessed sleep and breathing problems, sleepiness, and behavioral problems.
- Clinical subgroups included ADHD, LD, and combined ADHD/LD.
Main Results:
- Parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders reported significantly greater sleep-related problems, including sleep/breathing issues and sleepiness, compared to parents of control children.
- Sleep-related difficulties occurred with similar frequency across all clinical subgroups (ADHD, LD, ADHD/LD).
- No significant difference was found in the reported duration of weeknight sleep between clinical and control groups.
Conclusions:
- Sleep-related problems are frequently reported by parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- These sleep issues may contribute to or worsen the behavioral symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Routine screening for sleep problems is recommended during the clinical evaluation of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Abstract:
This study examined whether parents of children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 79) report greater sleep-related problems in their offspring than do parents of normal community-based children (n = 86) on a research questionnaire developed to assess sleep and breathing problems, sleepiness, and behavioral problems. Clinical subgroups included: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 43), learning disabilities (LD) (n = 11), and combined ADHD/LD (n = 25). Analyses revealed that parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders report greater problems along all three dimensions than parents of normal control children. Sleep-related difficulties were reported at the same frequency across all three clinical subgroups. No significant difference between clinical and control groups was noted, however, in the reported length of sleep on weeknights. These preliminary findings suggest that sleep-related problems need to be routinely reviewed as part of the clinical evaluation of neurodevelopmental problems, because they may contribute to and/or exacerbate the behavioral manifestation of these disorders.