SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER/

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between sleep disturbances and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Empirical re search published since 1970 on sleep disturbances in children with ADH D was systematically reviewed. A ''box-score'' approach was used to ex amine consistency of findings across the studies, which used different outcome measures. Results: Although subjective accounts of sleep dist urbances in ADHD were prevalent, objective verification of these distu rbances was less robust. The only consistent objective findings were t hat children with ADHD displayed more movements during sleep but did n ot differ from normal controls in total sleep time. An additional find ing was that stimulant medication led to changes in the children's sle ep (e.g., prolonged sleep latency, increased length of onset to first rapid eye movement cycle), but these changes were believed to be nonpa thological. Conclusions: The exact nature of the sleep problems in chi ldren with ADHD remains to be determined. Many of the relevant issues have not been adequately addressed. Factors such as poorly defined dia gnostic groups, small sample sizes, few studies, and methodological an d procedural limitations make it difficult to determine the relationsh ip between ADHD and sleep problems.