How To Recognize Kids With ADHD And Sleep Disorders?

How To Recognize Kids With ADHD And Sleep Disorders?

Are you facing issues paying attention or displaying hasty behaviour and forgetfulness?

If so, these are obvious signs of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. But there is also a chance that these can be signs of lack of sleep.

Sleep disorders in children are not that regular. Kids with sleep disorders face difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. Some kids with sleep disorders even face anxiety, including night terrors. Others suffer a medical issue like sleep apnea or asthma, which can cause a problem in their way of breathing.

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They also remain irritated in the morning and face difficulty in paying attention. Lack of proper sleep makes children act out or throw a tantrum.

ADHD can look quite similar. Children with ADHD can’t stay focused for a long time. They become easily distracted and are unable to follow directions all the time. They act out or throw tantrums when they are frustrated.

Carrying out the right diagnosis can be quite a task because it’s common for kids with ADHD to face trouble while sleeping. This might be due to a lot of added energy or the stimulant medication that disturbs regular sleep. Lack of sleep can make ADHD symptoms worse.

What are the signs of sleep disturbance?

Lack of sleep can arise from anxiety, night terrors, or a medical condition like sleep apnea or asthma that can cause trouble in breathing and disrupt sound sleep.

Signs for sleep disturbance include:

● Difficulty in falling asleep
● Issues staying asleep
● Problem in waking up in the morning
● Waking up in panic or screaming
● Waking up coughing
● Struggled breathing or pauses in breathing during sleep
● Making noises while sleeping
● Irritability
● Falling asleep in class
● Problems in paying attention.

Signs of ADHD

There is no doubt that about 6-10% of the population suffers from ADHD, and it is generally noticed in early childhood. Signs to look out for include:

● Trouble in concentrating on activities that are not interesting or rewarding
● Difficulty in listening and following directions
● Fails to stay seated for a long time
● An excessive amount of energy
● Tendency to interrupt, blurt things out
● Easily distracted
● Cannot sty organized
● Forgets things, tendency to lose things
● Impatience

What if a child has both?

Have you ever thought about what will happen if both the kids are diagnosed with ADHD? It is seen that kids with ADHD are always high on energy. It might cause a problem in settling down or going off to sleep that might lead to very less sleep per night.

It is a fact that ADHD medication can be connected to sleeplessness in some kids if it is still working when they are trying to fall asleep. So it’s also possible that lack of sleep —that is like a diagnosable sleep disorder — could be aggravating the ADHD symptoms present in a child.

What steps need to be taken?

● If a child is facing trouble sleeping due to the stimulant medication he/she is taking, then he should consult a doctor and ask him to reduce the dosage or adjust the timing of their medication so it does not affect sleep.

● If a child is facing a lack of sleep without any discernable medical issue, then a visit to a sleep specialist, psychologist, or the child’s paediatrician is necessary.

● If one suspects sleep apnea or another medical issue, then one must consider a medical doctor and find out if a sleep study or medical assistance is necessary.

If there is any chance of serious sleep problems, the efficient clinician would be cautious in diagnosing ADHD. If a successful treatment of a sleep disturbance leads to a decrease in ADHD symptoms, then it may be the right call to revaluate the ADHD diagnosis.

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