| The real root cause of ADD/ADHD has been | | | | - Most parents seriously overestimate the time |
| looked at in our past articles is misdiagnosis. The | | | | that their children actually rest. The time when |
| bottom line of much of that was said is that it is | | | | they are trying to fall alseep or are just laying |
| very important to look deeper for other possible | | | | there are not taken into consideration. |
| answers to the symptoms resembling ADD | | | | Those with an average nightly sleep of less than |
| before just accepting diagnosis. This is because it | | | | 7.7 hours scored higher in hyper and impulsive |
| is, sadly, often the case that those making a | | | | behavior when measured by the monitors. Being |
| positive results have something to get from it. | | | | labeled ADD/ADHD is the more likely scenario. |
| There are a few instances in which ADD/ADHD | | | | This study is one of the first that actually |
| has been misapplied to a child because of an | | | | confirms something all parents know almost |
| extreme cause such as a bacterial infection that | | | | instinctively: Lack of sleep leads to little Johnny |
| causes similar behavior which we will discuss in | | | | 'acting out' the next morning! If this continues |
| more depth next week. Other situations have a | | | | over a few weeks a trend gets established and |
| root cause that is much more boring. | | | | Johnny is at serious risk of being labeled as ADD |
| This is perhaps nowhere more true than in the | | | | ADHD! |
| case of the role of sleep (or rather the lack | | | | Dr. Juulia Paavonen who was in charge of the |
| thereof) on general health and behavior. Millions of | | | | study lays her finger securely on both this |
| mothers throughout the ages have sworn by the | | | | problem and its solution: "We were able to show |
| fact that their kid's behavior gets worse for | | | | that short sleep duration and sleeping difficulties |
| every extra hour of sleep that they did not get. | | | | are related to behavioral symptoms of ADHD. |
| It turns out that modern science is confirming this | | | | The results showed that keeping a normal sleep |
| bit 'folk wisdom'. | | | | schedule for children plays a major part in avoiding |
| One of the most interesting pieces of research | | | | many of the behavioral symtoms. Just an extra |
| on the effects of a lack of proper sleep is | | | | half hour each night for a child has show results in |
| particularly relevant for our discussion of ADD | | | | better behavior." |
| ADHD misdiagnosis. The Finnish national Institute | | | | With all of the things mentioned a parent on top |
| of Health and Welfare along with the University of | | | | of things should always look at the sleep patterns |
| Helsinki ran the research. Under the microscope | | | | of their child before venturing into the ADD |
| were the sleeping patterns and the behavior of | | | | ADHD world. It is difficult to pin an exact figure on |
| 280 healthy seven and eight year olds. | | | | 'enough' as the amount of sleep needed for |
| The simple question was the following: Are healthy | | | | optimum performance will differ from person to |
| children who get too little sleep more likely to | | | | person. |
| display the symptoms generally associated with | | | | Eight hours and more should nonetheless be seen |
| ADD/ADHD? The simple answer: Absolutely! | | | | as a very good benchmark to work from. It is |
| Researchers measured the sleeping patterns of | | | | likely that your child will need more sleep than this, |
| the children who participated in the study in two | | | | but it is unlikely that he or she will need less. |
| ways, one subjective and the other objective. For | | | | Helping children to 'make the numbers' when it |
| the "subjective" section parents were asked to | | | | comes to sleep can be very difficult but it is a |
| complete a panel of questions regarding their | | | | discipline that you will have to learn. A bit of |
| children's daily sleep habits. | | | | planning and the establishment of a firm bedtime |
| In addition to that they tried to note how long the | | | | routine could help you in this regard. The results |
| children slept each night for seven straight days. | | | | of experiencing good behavior is a large payoff. |
| This was done by asking them to wear actigraphs | | | | It could even be that paying attention to sleeping |
| (movement measurers) to determine how long | | | | patterns is the one thing that helps you to avoid |
| they actually rested for. | | | | the radical and life changing consequences of a |
| Parents were to also note other areas of their | | | | formal ADD/ADHD diagnosis. So next time you |
| child's behavior besides sleep using a commonly | | | | deal with problems of hyperactivity and |
| used method in diagnosing ADD/ADHD. The | | | | impulsiveness your first response should perhaps |
| results of this research strike a powerful blow for | | | | be to 'sleep on it' before doing anything else! |
| common sense. It can be summarized as follows: | | | | |