Sleep problems misdiagnosed as ADHD

"I don't know where he gets all the energy." ©T.Anastasiou

Is your child overactive? Easily distracted? Have difficulty sleeping? Does his teacher report that he is hyper? Does this mean he has
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD)?

Children “bouncing off the walls” often bring looks of sympathy for the poor parents dealing with the hyper child.

“Sleep disorders are often not recognized in children, and symptoms related to sleep deprivation may be erroneously attributed to hyperactivity or behavior disorders, to boredom with school or today’s hectic lifestyles,” said Dr. Carl Hunt, director of the National Center of Sleep Disorders Research, in a 2001 CNN,com interview.

Outside of family, the person who knows your child best is her teacher. One Willits teacher has commented that when working in a small community you get to know your students and their habits. When running out to Safeway at 9:00 PM and seeing a student and her family doing the family shopping, you know she is not getting her ten hours of sleep.

Teachers I have spoken with across Northern California have reported that often their classes get active boys whose parents are convinced their son has ADHD. Previous teachers tired of trying to keep up with the boys’ energy suggested testing for ADHD.

One teacher said a parent was so concerned about the preschool teacher’s suggestion that her son might be ADHD, she actually had her boy tested the summer before he entered school. The results were negative. He was just an active child. When questioned about bed times, it turned out he had a late bedtime and had to be up early for an hour drive to school. The mother began getting him to bed earlier, and he calmed a little. However, he never did get the National Sleep Foundation’s recommended eleven hours of sleep for kindergarten.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there are a number of signs that children are having sleep problems:

* Waking frequently during the night
* Talking during sleep
* Difficulty falling asleep
* Waking up crying

* Daytime sleepiness
* Snoring
* Nightmares or bedwetting
* Teeth grinding or clenching
* Early waking

Discuss sleep habits with your pediatrician if your child has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD or has any of the above symptoms.
Always get a second opinion.

ADHD seems to be the magic diagnosis for over active children. But, parents and teachers should be aware that it is important not to jump to conclusions. As advocates for healthy children, we need to find the cause for the hyper-activity. And, sleep is the simplest place to investigate and remedy.