Sleep Problems Common Among Kids with ADHD

[SuperChan]

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/adhd/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100201883&GT1=31001

Sleep Problems Common Among Kids With ADHD
From KidsHealth.org
KidsHealth

Lots of tots aren't getting enough sleep. And for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lack of adequate ZZZs is a prevalent problem that affects their daily lives and their parents', reports a new study.
Analyzing the sleep habits of 239 Australian children with ADHD (ages 5 to 18, 90% of whom were boys) researchers found that nearly three-quarters of the kids had sleep problems, with almost half experiencing moderate to severe issues like:

battling sleep at bedtime

difficulty drifting off to sleep and waking up

feeling overly groggy when it's time to get up The kids with significant sleep troubles were more apt to be late for school or miss it altogether; and their parents or caregivers were often late clocking in at work as well. These kids' quality of life was also poorer, as was their ability to function day-to-day. Plus, the primary caregivers of the kids with moderate to severe sleep problems were almost three times as likely (than those with youngsters who had no sleep issues) to be anxious, depressed, or stressed.
The researchers say sleep problems among kids with ADHD are so common, and affect them (and their parents) so greatly, that modifying sleep habits should be a primary part of the ADHD treatment plan — that "sleep intervention" could even "reduce the need for medication in some children."