Sleep and behavior problems

Almost 8 percent of children in the United States are diagnosed with ADHD . This figure jumps up to almost 10 percent when looking solely at boys. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects millions of children each year, and some experts think it may be related, at least in part, to sleep.

Researchers at Hasbro Children's Hospital have found that children with sleep disordered breathing (disorders like sleep apnea or snoring) were much more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. In the study, published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers looked at the records of over 200 kids referred for sleep testing because of apnea or other sleep disordered breathing symptoms. Almost half had a "history of behavioral problems" and almost a quarter had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Researchers found that the association was strongest when the children had more than one type of sleep issue. That means that kids with sleep apnea and insomnia, for instance, were even more likely than kids with apnea alone to be diagnosed with behavioral issues or ADHD.

What does this mean for parents and children? The science isn't totally clear yet as more research is needed, but some parents looking for help with their children's behavior issues might not need to look much further than the bedroom down the hall.