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ADHD Symptoms in Tired Children

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically diagnosed in children based on certain behaviors which are observed over the course of time. Symptoms such as inattention or hyperactivity are indicative of ADHD, but have also been reported in children who are sleep deprived.

  1. ADHD Symptoms

    • Children may exhibit several, or all, of the symptoms which define the disorder known as ADHD. Symptoms may include: inattention, such as losing necessary items or failing to follow through with tasks, hyperactivity, such as fidgeting or excessive talking, and impulsiveness, such as blurting out answers or interrupting others.

    Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

    • Sleep deprived children can display excessive tiredness during the day, impulse control problems, irritability, and a lack of focus or attention

    Research

    • The University of Helsinki, Finland conducted a study on 7 to 8-yr old children and discovered that those children who slept fewer than 7.7 hours per night were significantly more likely to exhibit behavior problems such as hyperactivity and inattention, than children who slept for longer durations. Principal investigator E. Juulia Paavonen, MD, PhD, reported that "short sleep duration itself is related to behavioral symptoms, independent of sleeping difficulties."

    Sleep Deprivation and possible causes

    • Beyond the obvious reasons for not enough sleep, such as going to bed too late and/or getting up too early, are possible medical conditions which may be responsible for sleep disruptions. Sleep walking, restless leg syndrome, insomnia or sleep apnea (often associated with snoring), may be responsible for disrupted sleep and potential behavior problems.

    Considerations

    • If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, it is important to carefully examine his sleep patterns and consult with a pediatrician to determine if there is an underlying medical problem which may be the source of the sleep disruption. If there is not a medical condition which is responsible for the disruption of sleep, extra allowances for nighttime sleeping should be made.

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