A study conducted through the Douglas Mental Health University Institute has found that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may be clinically sleep deprived and have abnormal REM sleep. Thirty-eight children participated in the study - 15 who had been diagnosed with ADHD, and 23 who had not.

"Results show that children with ADHD have a total sleep time that is significantly shorter than that of controls. Children in the ADHD group had an average total sleep time of eight hours, 19 minutes; this was 33 minutes less than the average sleep time of eight hours, 52 minutes, in controls."

Lead investigator Reut Gruber, Ph.D, said the study doesn't prove that sleep deprivation is the cause of ADHD, but that it may make symptoms worse. Over time, partial sleep loss accumulates into a sleep debt that can cause neurobehavioral impairments and affect overall learning and attention. Source: PsychCentral

Labels: research, sleep, studies

Posted By: Aspen Education Group