Mustard Seed Imprints

For parents looking for natural, drug-free approaches to managing or treating ADHD, here’s something to consider. Researchers and clinicians have long thought there is a link between lack of sleep and two of the main symptoms in ADHD, lack of attention and hyperactivity. A recent study of 7-8 year old children may confirm these suspicions.

Published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that children whose average sleep was less than 7.7  hours were more hyperactive and impulsive than children who slept more than 7.7 hours but less than 9.4 hours.

In the United States there is an epidemic of children not getting enough sleep, as they are allowed by their parents to stay up late watching movies, television, chatting on the Internet  or playing computer games, only to have to get up early in the morning to make their way to school. The study highlights the need for parents to set regular bedtimes for their children, and monitor their children’s sleep.

For children to sleep well, it is important to avoid stimulating activities before bedtime such as exciting television, movies or games. Also, caffeinated drinks and eating late in the evening can impair sleep. For a good nights rest, it is important to provide children with a quiet, darkened room and a comfortable bed.

Source: Pediatrics Vol. 123 No. 5 May 2009, pp. e857-e864)