Children who do not sleep well are more likely to develop symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during pre-adolescence, according to a new study led by Llúcia González-Safont, researcher in the Epidemiology and Public Health area of the CIBER. (CIBERESP), the Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry of the University of Valencia and the FISABIO Foundation.
The results of the study have been published in the European Journal of Pediatrics and show that there is a close relationship between sleep problems during childhood and this neurological development disorder that affects approximately 7.5% of boys and girls, which It constitutes an important advance to better understand the causes of ADHD.
The researchers have studied 1,244 boys and girls from Gipuzkoa, Sabadell and Valencia, cohorts participating in the INMA Project, and have evaluated, on the one hand, sleep problems at the age of 8 to 9 years, using the ‘Child Behavior’ questionnaire. Checklist 6-18′ (CBCL) and, on the other hand, the manifestations of ADHD were collected through the Conners Parent Scales (CPRS-R:S).
Researchers have found a strong relationship between sleep problems at ages 8 and 9 and the development of ADHD symptoms at ages 10-11.
Previously, several studies had shown that sleep problems and ADHD are common during childhood, with prevalences of 20% for sleep problems and 3-7.5% for ADHD. In the case of sleep problems, it is greater in boys and girls with ADHD, and affects between 25% and 73.3%.
In this context, the work of the research teams established a strong relationship between sleep problems at the age of 8 and 9 years and the development of ADHD symptoms at 10-11 years. The association between sleep problems and ADHD symptoms was maintained after excluding from the initial analysis those boys and girls who had previous clinical problems (for example, those who were born small for their gestational age, premature and preterm, and those who had compatible symptoms). with the diagnosis, both prior to and simultaneously with the presentation of sleep problems). This fact highlights the strength with which the association between sleep problems and ADHD exists.
Healthy sleep habits from childhood
Sleep is a complex physiological state that influences physical and mental performance and the healthy development and maintenance of learning processes, declarative and procedural memory, generalization of knowledge and emotional processing. Sleep disturbances have immediate and long-term consequences.
The results of the new work add evidence that allows us to relate sleep problems in childhood and the development of ADHD symptoms at later ages. The conclusions of the study could be useful for establishing policies and actions that favor adequate conditions for the development of healthy sleep habits during childhood.
Dr. Llúcia González has highlighted that “these findings should be interpreted with caution. Although not all boys and girls with sleep problems will develop symptoms of ADHD, their detection in early stages, with questionnaires that are easy to apply in the pediatric consultation, could help prevent or mitigate future symptoms of behavioral problems, such as ADHD. . Therefore, it would be interesting to incorporate this type of screening tools in primary care programs such as the Children’s Health Program.”
Source: CIBER Network Biomedical Research Center (CIBERESP)
