Clinical and Parental Assessment of Sleep in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Referred to a Pediatric Sleep Medicine Center

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Abstract
Frequently reported sleep problems in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) referred to a pediatric sleep medicine center were assessed and compared with objective sleep assessments. A retrospective review of 97 children with ADHD (mean age of 8.3 ± 3.0 years) was conducted. Polysomnography in 69 children revealed periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in 36% and sleep-disordered breathing in 7%, while actigraphy uncovered substantial variability in sleep schedules of 16 patients. Although parental subjective sleep complaints were verified by objective sleep assessments in a small proportion of cases, PLMD and night-to-night variability in sleep patterns were common.