People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of sleep problems such as insomnia, so much so that two out of three patients suffer from it. Now a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research has found that improving sleep could help symptoms of hyperactivity manifest less severely.
The research, carried out by members of the Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions Group of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the CIBER in its Mental Health area (CIBERSAM), has had the participation of 92 adults diagnosed with ADHD and insomnia, who received recommendations to improve their rest and who underwent a six-month follow-up to see results.
At the beginning of the work, it was observed that 74% of the patients had problems falling asleep and 70% had depression or anxiety. To improve your sleep, the researchers offered tips such as following a schedule-based routine, not drinking drinks or other exciting substances hours before going to bed, sleeping in relaxed spaces, or avoiding the use of mobile phones and other screens before bed. . Also, in some cases where it was necessary, drugs such as benzodiazepines, melatonin or antidepressants were prescribed.
Better physical and mental health
At three months from the beginning of the investigation, the authors found that insomnia had improved or even disappeared in 44.6% of the participants, and after six months of follow-up, that percentage was 72.4%. In addition, evidence was found that this improvement in sleep also had an impact on the severity of ADHD symptoms, making them much milder.
Changes in sleep habits improved ADHD symptoms in 44.6% of patients at three months and up to 72.4% of them at six months
On the other hand, changes in sleep habits also caused better physical and mental health in patients. Those who continued to have insomnia, despite following the researchers’ advice, did so because they had other psychiatric disorders that could explain the lack of results for them, such as depression or more severe symptoms of depression. ADHD.
Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, head of the Mental Health Service of the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and of the Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions group of the VHIR and head of the CIBERSAM research group, declared that “thanks to this longitudinal study, in which we have followed up the patients, we have confirmed that the treatment of insomnia could play an important role in improving the symptoms of ADHD”. This is important in order to create new strategies for patients, since small changes in their sleeping habits can improve their disease and their quality of life.
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