Regular sleep improves cognition in children affected by ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually begins in childhood.
- The most common symptoms that occur in affected individuals are difficulty staying focused on a given task, forgetfulness, impulsivity, restlessness, and difficulty organizing and completing assignments.
- Waking up later on weekends and earlier during the week has been linked to poorer cognitive performance in children with ADHD.
Waking up later on weekends and earlier during the week has been linked to poorer cognitive performance in children with ADHD.
The study The origin of this demonstration was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Sleep Disorders
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically begins in childhood but can continue into adolescence and adulthood. The most common symptoms that occur in affected individuals are difficulty staying focused on a given task, forgetfulness, impulsivity, restlessness, and difficulty organizing and completing assignments. ADHD can therefore have a significant impact on various aspects of life, including academic performance, work and social relationships.
Sleep problems are very common in children with ADHD. Studies on the subject indicate that between 40 and 70% of children affected by this disease present at least one form of sleep disorders. With these elements in mind, the author of the work cited at the beginning of the article, Xueqi Qu, wanted to explore the sleep characteristics of children affected by ADHD and examine whether they were associated with a change in their cognitive performance.
The study included 350 children aged 5 to 12 who had been diagnosed with ADHD. Of these volunteers, 71% were boys.
Parents completed questionnaires on their children’s sociodemographic data and sleep characteristics. The young participants then took assessments to measure their cognitive functions, including memory, attention, analysis speed and linguistic reasoning.
ADHD in children: “maintaining sleep habits improves learning”
Results showed that children slept an average of 10 hours per night on school days, with individual sleep durations varying from 6.5 to 12.5 hours. On weekends and off days, the average sleep time was 10.3 hours, with individual durations ranging from 6.5 to 14 hours. About half of young people had at least one type of sleep disorder, with 10% having more than three. The most common sleep problems were difficulty falling asleep, waking up and restlessness.
After analysis and cross-checking of the data, sleep time and sleep disorders were not associated with a variation in cognitive performance. On the other hand, the time difference between weekends and weekdays was.
“Jet lag in children is caused by changes in household rules and routines between school and weekends,” explain the authors of the study in conclusion.
“Our findings suggest that maintaining sleep patterns throughout the week and weekends for children with ADHD could improve learning and attention,” they finish.