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Parent reports of sleep disturbances in stimulant-medicated children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
1Texas Woman's University, Denton 76204-5470, USA. F_DAY@twu.edu
Insights
Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taking stimulant medication experience more sleep disturbances. Monitoring sleep and offering therapies can help families manage these common ADHD-related sleep issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
- Stimulant medications are frequently prescribed for ADHD management.
- Sleep disturbances are often reported in children with ADHD, but the impact of stimulant medication requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the severity of sleep disturbances in children with ADHD on stimulant medication versus other groups.
- To identify specific categories of sleep problems experienced by children with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A structured interview with 40 questions was administered to parents.
- Parents of 20 medicated children with ADHD, 20 unmedicated children with other psychiatric diagnoses (OPD), and 20 nonclinical controls participated.
- Sleep disturbances were assessed over a 1-month interval.
Main Results:
- Parents of children with ADHD reported significantly more sleep problems across all assessed categories.
- These categories included difficulties settling/going to sleep, sleep disruptions, and morning activities.
- Between 25% and 50% of parents in the ADHD group reported very frequent difficulties with sleep onset.
Conclusions:
- Children with ADHD on stimulant medication experience a higher burden of sleep disturbances.
- Sleep-related behaviors should be monitored in children with ADHD undergoing stimulant treatment.
- Adjunctive therapies for sleep disturbances may be beneficial for families managing ADHD in children on medication.
Abstract:
In a study of the severity of sleep disturbances in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are taking stimulant medication, parents of 20 children diagnosed as having ADHD and on medication, 20 unmedicated children with some other psychiatric diagnosis (OPD), and 20 nonclinical control children responded to a 40-question structured interview to report the frequency of their children's sleep disturbances occurring during a 1-month interval. Parents of children in the ADHD group reported significantly more problems than parents of children in the other groups on variables within all three categories of behaviors: (a) settling and going to sleep, (b) disruptions during sleep, and (c) morning activities. From 25% to 50% of these parents reported very frequent difficulties in their children settling and going to sleep. These findings indicate that monitoring sleep-related behaviors and providing adjunctive therapies for sleep-related disturbances would be beneficial for many families with ADHD children who are taking stimulant medication.