Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness in Young Adolescents With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of multiple types of sleep problems in young adolescents with ADHD. METHOD Adolescents comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD (N = 262) and their caregivers completed well-validated measures of sleep problems and daytime sleepiness. Participants also completed measures related to medication use, comorbidities, and other factors that could predict sleep problems. RESULTS Daytime sleepiness was by far the most common sleep problem, with 37% of adolescents meeting the clinical threshold according to parent report and 42% according to adolescent report. In contrast, prevalence rates for specific nighttime sleep problems ranged from 1.5% to 7.6%. Time spent in bed, bedtime resistance, ADHD inattentive symptoms, and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) symptoms were significant in the final model predicting daytime sleepiness. CONCLUSION Adolescents with ADHD commonly experience problems with daytime sleepiness that may significantly affect their functioning, but this may not be directly attributable to specific sleep problems.