The researchers advise their parents to contact a sleep laboratory and not to immediately use stimulant drugs without investigation
55% of children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suffer from sleep disorders. This is what a study conducted at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion revealed. The researchers recommend that the parents of children suffering from these problems contact a sleep laboratory first, and not use stimulant drugs automatically without prior investigation.
The research was conducted as part of Nathalie Golan's master's thesis, under the supervision of Professor Giora Filler. She examined 66 children, boys and girls, of which 34 were children with ADHD. The rest, who do not suffer from these problems, formed a control group. The average age of the children was 12.
All the children underwent a sleep test in the sleep laboratory at the Technion. They were tested for seven hours in a dark and quiet room, in the company of one of their parents. No drugs were used to increase sleep. Electrodes were attached to them and, among other things, brain waves, eye movements and leg movements, chest and abdomen during sleep, blood oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide emissions were tested. All measurements were digitally recorded and recorded.
All children also underwent a daily sleepiness test. Each of them got five opportunities to go to sleep during the day, half an hour each time. They were asked to lie in bed in a quiet, dark and comfortable room, without any external stimulation. Their parents were allowed to stay in the room.
All participants in the experiment underwent a medical interview, filled out questionnaires and were medically examined before going to bed. On the night of the test, they arrived at the sleep laboratory at 20.00:7.00 p.m., electrodes were attached to them and their sleep was monitored no later than midnight until 8.00:XNUMX a.m. Later, starting at XNUMX:XNUMX, they passed the sleep latency test (daily sleepiness).
"In children with attention disorders, many more sleep disorders were found, than in their friends who do not suffer from these disorders," says Nathalie Golan. "They were also found to be more sleepy during the day. 50% of them suffered from sleep breathing disorders and 10% suffered from involuntary leg movements during sleep, a very uncommon disorder among children. The fact that most of them fell asleep during the daily check-up surprised their parents, who said that their children, who are mostly hyperactive, never sleep at noon." In addition, preliminary results from a study designed to test the effect of treating sleep disorders on the daily behavior of these children indicate a significant improvement in indicators of irritability, mood, tendency to argue, anger and fears.
Following the findings of the study, the Technion researchers recommend to the parents of children with attention disorders who have been found to have a sleep problem, to instill in the children correct sleeping habits, to treat the breathing and/or movement problem if found, to avoid caffeinated beverages in the evening, and only then to clinically consider, as necessary, Arousal treatment in the morning.
The brain savant
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