Sleep profile in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract EN

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurological disorder affecting 5-8% of school-age children and symptoms continue to mature in about 60% of cases, about 4% of adults.

Objectives: To identify sleep problems and their diagnostic characteristics that may help to better understand ADHD and to assess the severity of symptoms and their relationship to ADHD.

Methodology: A case-control study was carried out on 60 children divided into: 30 children with ADHD diagnosed according to the DSM of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), in addition, 30 normal children as controls.

The study was conducted at the Institute of Postgraduate Childhood Studies and Center of Psychiatry at Ain Shams University in the period from April 2016 to October 2017.

Complete psychological history and examination were done for each child who met the inclusion criteria.

Physical , neurological and psychological examination were performed using: DSM 5, Conner scale, Child Sleep habits questionnaire and sleep laboratory at the Center for Psychiatry Ain Shams University.

Results: The findings revealed that 18 (60%) of cases suffered from insomnia: (27.7%), primary insomnia (22.2%), primary, intermediate and final insomnia (16.6%), primary and late insomnia (11.1%), moderate insomnia and hyper hypnosis (5.5%).

There is increased instability in sleep and latency in children with ADHD.

There are statistically significant differences between cases and control groups as regards longer latency, lack of sleep, slightly lower phases 3 and 4duration, longer duration of dreaming sleep (accompanied by eye movement) and longer response time, increased vigilance , height of the periodic leg movement.

Conclusion: There is a high co-occurrence of sleep problems among children with ADHD that minimally 65.62% of ADHD cases have at least one sleep disturbance type.