1Dept of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
2Dept of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
3Dept of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
*Correspondence Address Dr. Garima Shukla Department of Neurology, Neurosciences Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. e-mail: garimashukla@hotmail.com
**e-mail: joseph.angela12@gmail.com
Online published on 18 April, 2014.
Objective: One of the factors that possibly account for conflicting results from research studies examining sleep problems in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is sleep lab adaptation. The aim of the present study was to study sleep quality in children with ADHD and investigate the presence of a first night effect in children with ADHD using polysomnography (PSG) in a sleep lab.
Methods: Sleep architecture and sleep quality were assessed in children with ADHD using two consecutive nights of PSG and parent reported sleep questionnaires.
Results: A total of 13 children diagnosed with ADHD were studied over a period of 1 year. Sleep disturbances most frequently reported by parents included bedtime resistance, excessive daytime sleepiness, parasomnias and restless legs syndrome. Comparison of sleep latency, sleep efficiency, wakefulness, REM latency, total sleep time, N1, N2, N3, AHI, arousal index, REM and PLMI revealed no difference between 1st and the 2nd night of polysomnography.
Conclusion: Children with ADHD have disturbed sleep but do not show a first night effect during PSG, and hence, a single night PSG has been shown to suffice in assessment of sleep among patients with ADHD.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Sleep quality, Polysomnography, Sleep lab adaptation, First night effect
