Could Snoring and Mouth-Breathing be Signs of Sleep Deprivation in ADHD Kids?
Parents often seek a physician’s diagnosis of ADHD to explain their child’s difficulties at school or with friends. With the growing use of online clinics for adult ADHD diagnoses, it’s important to consider other potential causes before considering medication, as a new study highlights the link between sleep and ADHD symptoms.
“Many children receiving medication for ADHD may actually suffer from breathing disorders during sleep. This misdiagnosis can lead to the real problem being left untreated, and unnecessary treatment may worsen the situation,” explain researchers from Tel Aviv University.
The findings of the study indicate that children with sleep-disordered breathing were seven times more likely to be receiving ADHD medication compared to children without this condition.
The research, conducted by Dr. Shani Kaminsky-Kurtz, Dr. Sigalit Blumer, Prof. Ilana Eli, Dr. Alona Emodi-Perlman, and Dr. Yarden Shreiber-Fridman from the Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine at Tel Aviv University, was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, with a follow-up study published in the same journal in 2023.
Dr. Blumer explains, “Sleep breathing disorders in children often manifest as snoring or interruptions in breathing during sleep, disrupting oxygen saturation levels and potentially impacting growth and development, leading to symptoms similar to those seen in ADHD.”
To address under-diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing in children, a reliable diagnostic tool known as the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) has been developed to identify symptoms that may be mistaken for ADHD, such as discontinuous sleep, snoring, and mouth-breathing.
A comprehensive clinical examination and questionnaire survey were used to investigate 227 children aged 4-12, revealing a clear correlation between sleep-disordered breathing and ADHD medication use.
Dr. Emodi and Prof. Eli warn, “Our findings suggest that many children receive ADHD medication due to a misdiagnosis, which not only leaves the real problem untreated but may also worsen the situation.”
The study emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs of sleep-disordered breathing and recommends a simple series of questions for medical professionals treating children to identify potential cases.
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