Originally published September 27 2005
Children with ADHD symptoms may need more sleep
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Sleep Laboratory have suggested children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) may actually be suffering from a lack of sleep that leads them to engage in hyperactive behavior in an effort to stay awake.
Children who have symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) actually may be sleep-deprived, according to researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Sleep Laboratory.
An estimated 8 percent of US children suffer from ADHD, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, and more than half of them are being treated with drugs.
ADHD is characterized by overalertness and nervousness, with affected children being fidgety and overstimulated.
Paradoxically, the use of stimulant medications like Ritalin seems to be the most effective method for treating ADHD symptoms in the majority of children.
Their excessive motor activity could be a tool to stay alert, he conjectured, which might explain the effectiveness of stimulants that increase activity in the central nervous system.
"Sleepy children, unlike sleepy adults, may demonstrate hyperactivity and attention-deficit behavior rather than excessive daytime sleepiness," Pillar explained.
The ADHD-diagnosed children had significantly higher levels of sleepiness during the day than those in the control group, the researchers found.
Half of the test subjects with ADHD (vs. 22 percent of the control group) suffered from some degree of sleep-disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea, which is characterized by interruptions in breathing that last 10 seconds or more, occurring at least five times per hour during sleep.
Fifteen percent (vs. none in the control group) had Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), which is relatively uncommon among children.
For example, school performance, which is low in children with sleep apnea, has been found to improve markedly following the removal of adenoids and tonsils to correct the disorder.
The researchers urge parents of hyperactive and attention-deficit children diagnosed with sleep disorders to have breathing irregularities and limb movements treated, to enforce good sleeping habits, and to avoid giving them caffeinated drinks at night.
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