American researchers have just shown that drugs against attention disorders and hyperactivity interfere with children’s sleep.
Difficulty falling asleep, fractional sleep … Treatments for attention disorders and hyperactivity (ADHD) are harmful for children’s sleep, reveals a study published this Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Methylphenidate (sold under the name Ritalin, Concerta or Quasym), a psychostimulant similar to amphetamines, aims to improve concentration and attention in children aged 6 and over. Although its use remains limited in France compared to certain European or North American neighbors, the sale of this drug has experienced a sharp increase since its arrival on the market in 1996. Indeed, according to a 2013 report from the National Medicines Agency (ANSM), the number of boxes sold increased 19-fold between 1996 and 2012, going from 26,000 to 494,000 boxes sold.
Sleep, conflicting conclusions
An increase that worries specialists because this drug is far from harmless and has many potentially serious side effects. It can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. It could also impair the brain development and growth of the child. And concerning sleep, the vagueness persisted. Some studies concluded to negative effects on the sleep of these restless children while others suggested that it favored falling asleep.
Faced with these contradictory results, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln wanted to see more clearly. They then analyzed 167 studies and selected 9. These studies were not based on statements from parents but on objective measures of sleep.
The results of this meta-analysis then show that methylphenidate causes sleep disturbances, especially in boys. They also show that the more frequent the drug is taken, the more difficult it is for children to fall asleep.
Adapt treatment to each child
“Sleep disorders in children have consequences on their cognitive, emotional and behavioral functions such as inattention, irritability or disobedience,” underlines Katherine Kidwell, psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and responsible for these. works. This lack of sleep could affect the effectiveness of treatment in some patients. Pediatricians should adjust the dosage and frequency of intake for each child to limit sleep disturbances and effectively treat ADHD symptoms. “
The authors also specify that there is no question of stopping prescribing these treatments because they are well tolerated and have been proven to be effective. Nevertheless, they stress the importance of weighing the pros and cons before giving this medicine to children. They also point out that behavioral, educational, social and family therapies exist and that they too deserve to have their place in the management of attention disorders.
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