Most parents who have a child with ADHD are
familiar with its common symptoms: easy distractibility and an inability to
focus, putting things off until the last minute, being forgetful and even
losing things. What many do not realise, even in the health care community, is
that these same symptoms often accompany some sort of sleeping disorder in
children and even in some adults.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, there is both
anecdotal evidence as well as solid research that seem to
suggest that part of the reason why more children and adults are being
diagnosed with ADHD may be that they are being misdiagnosed and actually have a
sleeping disorder. It is also possible
that there may be a connection between the two disorders.
Our lives are simply busier than they were
just a few decades ago. All of us try to cram more activities into each day,
and more is expected of us at work, school and home. Add to that the steady
influx of technological advances that make it hard to “unplug” such as video
games, smartphones and more and it’s easy to see why most people don’t get the
amount of sleep that they wish or need.
All of this constant “busy-ness” can make
it hard to turn off our minds and achieve a good night’s sleep. Physical issues
such as breathing problems caused by sleep apnea and other conditions can also
interfere with achieving the periods of deep, interrupted sleep that all of us
need to function in top form.
While lack of restful sleep often manifests
itself with feeling lethargic and sleepy through the day, other individuals,
particularly children, may display the same symptoms that are common among
those with ADHD.
While more research is needed, information
that is currently available suggests that helping children with ADHD to achieve
a restful night’s sleep may be a tool that parents can use to help reduce the
ADHD symptoms that their child may experience throughout the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment