By Patti Teel
www.pattiteel.com
Children with ADHD are more likely to have sleep difficulties. However, good sleep hygiene in conjunction with self-soothing relaxation techniques may help to solve your child’s sleep problems.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurological condition that is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. There are three subtypes of ADHD that are generally recognized by professionals. There is the predominately hyperactive-impulsive type (children don’t show significant inattention); the predominately inattentive type (the child does not show significant hyperactive-impulsive behavior)—previously called ADD, and the combined type (a child who displays both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.) Research is finding that there is a strong genetic component.
Health problems and inadequate sleep must be taken into account when getting an assessment.
ADHD is not the only disorder that is characterized by attention problems, poor impulse control and hyperactivity. Those characteristics are also likely to be displayed by children who are anxious or depressed, have a sugar sensitivity, or are sleep deprived. In the July/August 2003 issue of Psychology Today, a Brown University study suggests, “sleep deprivation in normal children can lead to symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).”
Researchers found that several days of sleep deprivation resulted in the development of ADHD symptoms, and that children’s hyperactivity levels escalated with each additional night of poor sleep. The sleep deprivation may be due to sleep apnea, allergies, asthma, circadian rhythm disorder or restless legs syndrome. Not only are children at serious risk of being misdiagnosed as ADHD, if their sleep or health problem remains undetected, their health can be jeopardized.
Research shows a clear link between sleep and school performance but many teachers and schools are slow to get the message. Teachers are often unaware that a lack of sleep is what keeps many of their students from being able to concentrate at school during the day, jumping to the conclusion that a child has a learning problem or ADHD — when the real culprit may very well be insufficient sleep. Federal law mandates that special education students have IEPs (individualized educational plans).
