Sleep patterns and the risk for ADHD: a review

Summary & key facts

This review looks at research about sleep and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, called ADHD. It says people with ADHD often have sleep problems, and researchers have asked whether sleep problems cause ADHD, are a symptom of it, or are a separate condition that happens for similar reasons. Many studies have tested how lack of sleep affects ADHD symptoms and have followed sleep and ADHD over time, but the evidence does not clearly show that sleep problems come before and cause ADHD. The paper also talks about possible ways sleep and ADHD might be linked and what that could mean for clinical care.

Key facts:

• People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder often also have sleep disturbances.
• Sleep disturbances could be a risk factor for developing ADHD, a symptom of ADHD, or a separate condition that appears for related reasons.
• Researchers have studied the short-term effects of sleep loss on ADHD symptoms and have examined links between sleep problems and ADHD both at the same time and across time.
• Current evidence does not clearly show that sleep problems come first and cause ADHD; the idea that sleep disturbances are a direct predecessor to ADHD remains unclear.
• The review considers possible biological and behavioral mechanisms for the link and outlines clinical implications when sleep problems and ADHD occur together.

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with comorbid sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances may be a risk factor for development of the disorder, a symptom of the disorder, or a comorbid condition affected by a similar psychopathology. Various studies have examined the impact of sleep deprivation on the presence/exacerbation of ADHD symptomology, as well as longitudinal and concurrent associations between different sleep disturbances and ADHD, yet the notion of sleep disturbances as a predecessor to ADHD remains unclear. As such, this review examines the evidence for sleep disturbances as a risk factor for the development of ADHD, as well as the mechanisms underlying the association between sleep patterns and ADHD. Additionally, clinical implications regarding the comorbid nature of sleep disturbances and ADHD will be considered.

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Sleep and related disorders Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Clinical psychology Cognition Comorbidity Computer science Exacerbation Insomnia Internal medicine Medicine Operating system Psychiatry Psychopathology Risk factor Sleep (system call) Sleep deprivation Sleep disorder

Conditions & symptoms

ADHD Sleep disorder Difficulty focusing Poor sleep