ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) IS THE MOST COMMON PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER IN CHILDREN AND OCCURS 3 TO 6 TIMES MORE FREQUENTLY IN BOYS

Abstract

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) IS THE MOST COMMON PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER IN CHILDREN AND OCCURS 3 TO 6 TIMES MORE FREQUENTLY IN BOYS THAN IN GIRLS.1 It is characterized by impaired attention, impulsivity, and excessive motor activity.2 Parents have reported high prevalence of sleep problems in children diagnosed with ADHD. Recently, it has been suggested that sleep problems associated with breathing problems might underlie symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity3 and that treatment of sleep problems might result in improving behavior and decreasing the need for stimulant medication.4,5 Studies focusing on the relationships between sleep and its association with daytime functioning of children diagnosed with ADHD symptoms that are not related to breathing problem are lacking. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the neurobehavioral correlates of sleep patterns in boys diagnosed with ADHD and no reported breathing problems. The study extended previous research in several ways, first, by using validated objective instruments to assess sleep and neurobehavioral functioning (NBF). For the assessment of sleep, we utilized objective methodology rather than parental report, and we assessed natural sleep schedules for 5 consecutive nights in the natural home environment of the children rather than in the laboratory. For the assessment of daytime functioning, we used objective, age-appropriate, validated instruments. Second, we also extended previously published research findings by relying on a sample that comprised nonmedicated children who met the diagnosis for ADHD and had no reported breathing problem. Sleep and ADHD