Sleep disorders belong to a category of medical problems that are different from ADHD. The lack of sleep or the inability to get sound sleep is not identified as one of the major ADHD symptoms. In fact, the symptoms of ADHD have three groups only (inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity), and sleep disorders could not fit in into any of them. Nevertheless, several studies (see references) have examined the correlation of ADHD and sleep disorders.
In one study (Thunstrom, 2002), the occurrence of childhood ADHD is likely when the infant suffers from sleep problems. In another study (Bullock & Schall, 2005), dyssomnia, a sleep disorder in children, is observed to be co-morbid with ADHD. And still in another study (Paavonen, et al, 2009) healthy children with shorter sleep duration have been found to exhibit the behavioral symptoms of ADHD. Based on these studies, four possible general relationships of ADHD and sleep disorders are found:
- The ADHD symptoms are worsened because of sleep deprivation
- The ADHD symptoms lead to sleep disorders
- A sleep disorder results in a misdiagnosis of ADHD
- A sleep disorder exists along with ADHD
Even when the behavioral symptoms of childhood ADHD have been controlled by various ADHD treatment and medical interventions, the risk of the having sleep disorders during adolescence is higher (Shur-Fen Gau, & Huey-Ling, 2009). An adolescent who had ADHD during childhood is twice as likely as a healthy adolescent to suffer from nightmares. Aside from nightmares and dyssomnia, some of the identified sleep disorders are insomnia, hypersomnia, and sleepwalking.
For teens that suffer from sleep disorders, there are two possibilities. One, they may have been wrongly diagnosed with childhood ADHD and were given medications for ADHD and not for the sleep disorder. And two, they may have childhood ADHD and sleep disorders. Since most ADHD medications do not address sleep disorders, only the behavioral symptoms of ADHD are controlled and the sleep disorder persisted. The problem with this second possibility is that sleep deprivation worsens ADHD symptoms. Adolescent ADHD may occur. If the presence of ADHD is already suspected, it is best to consult a physician. If the parents wanted to know more about diagnosis and treatment of adolescent ADHD, they can consult Arthur L. Robin’s book “ADHD in Adolescents – Diagnosis and Treatment.”