Weighted blankets could be used as a ‘non-pharmacological sleep intervention’ in children with ADHD
Research suggests that as many as 70 percent of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) deal with some type of sleep problem or disturbance.
ADHD is a medical/neurobiological condition in which the brain’s neurotransmitter chemicals, noradrenalin, and dopamine, do not work properly, according to ADHD Ireland.
These sleep disturbances can range from an unwillingness to go to bed to exhibiting anxious behaviour at night, and from needing sleep associations such as a parent present or a TV to insomnia.
Sleep problems in children with ADHD may affect their quality of life and interfere with their schooling, as well as impact their parents’s stress levels and work.
However, a recent study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that weighted blankets can improve the sleep quality of children with ADHD.
These blankets are heavier than typical blankets and have been shown to improve young participants’ sleep duration and quality.
This study shows how a non-invasive and non-pharmacological approach can help with sleep without the potential side effects of medication.
Children sleeping with weighted blankets had a marked improvement in overall sleep duration
During the study, the team analysed the sleep quality of children using weighted blankets compared to that of children using regular blankets. They used actigraphs to track movement during sleep.
Parent ratings and children’s self-reports about their sleep were also taken into consideration by researchers.
Both groups were comprised of children with ADHD. There were 94 total participants—54 boys and 40 girls, averaging nine years old.
The group of children using weighted blankets showed marked improvements in their overall sleep duration.
They also noticed an improvement in the length of time they spent awake after falling asleep.
On average, there was an improvement of eight minutes in total sleep time for both groups and a 16-minute improvement for children aged 11 to 14 with the inattentive subtype of ADHD.
The research found that, overall, children who used weighted blankets while sleeping slept more soundly and for longer durations than with regular blankets.
It’s worth noting that the research has certain limitations, one of which is the ‘blinding process’.
This means the parents of the children may have been able to distinguish between the weighted blanket and the regular blanket, which may have affected their feedback.
The study also didn’t include children with ADHD who also had other conditions, such as autism or anxiety disorders, meaning the findings may not apply to all children with ADHD.
Additionally, the research did not analyse any primary sleep disorders that might affect the results.
However, researchers from the study did conclude that weighted blankets appear to be “effective in improving sleep duration, sleep maintenance, and decreasing sleep disruption in children with ADHD”.
They added that these blankets “could be used as a non-pharmacological sleep intervention and be recommended in clinical guidelines as a first-line intervention for sleep difficulties in ADHD.”
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