Researchers think sleeplessness might be what’s causing ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioural disorder among children.

Common symptoms include constant fidgeting and restlessness. Many kids with ADHD have learning difficulties, are easily distracted or have sleep disorders (HSE). It turns out there are some researchers who think that sleep is a very significant issue when it comes to understanding the disorder too. With increasing numbers of children being diagnosed as having ADHD, plenty of studies have been led in the area. From these, researchers are suggesting kids are losing out on the amount and quality of sleep they really need, leading to activities that mimic ADHD. Studies suggest the length, quality and timing of sleep play a crucial role. Between oodles of school-work, extracurricular activities and screens – whether it be mobile, computer or TV – there’s a lot of kids having to deal with tons of distractions every day. According to ScienceDaily, Researchers presented evidence at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Conference in Paris which suggested people who are diagnosed with ADHD might actually be suffering from insomnia, lack of sleep, obstructed breathing and the likes. The idea they put forward essentially probes into whether or not ADHD is in fact a sleep disorder. They looked at people’s circadian rhythms which refers to a person’s natural cycle of how they sleep and wake up. Those known to have ADHD were seen to have levels of melatonin (sleep regulating hormone) that increased an hour and a half later during the night, compared to those who did not have ADHD. As a result, those with ADHD ended up sleeping later. As we’re well aware, lack of sleep has some nasty consequences. Presenting the proposal at the event was Professor Sandra Kooij who said,

“There is extensive research showing that people with ADHD also tend to exhibit sleep problems. What we are doing here is taking this association to the next logical step: pulling all the work together leads us to say that, based on existing evidence, it looks very much like ADHD and circadian problems are intertwined in the majority of patients.”

This could make perfect sense as ADHD suffers often also have restless leg syndrome, sleep apnoea and delayed sleep phase syndrome. Professor Kooij also said,

"We don't say that all ADHD problems are associated with these circadian patterns, but it looks increasingly likely that this is an important element."

Researchers also put forward evidence that might show a link between ADHD and the likes of depression or bipolar disorder. It all begs the question, is ADHD caused by sleeplessness or does sleeplessness cause ADHD? If it’s the latter, it might be a case in which children and adults could be treated with changing light or sleep patterns rather than pharmacological methods as suggested by the research. Food for thought perhaps.