UK, April 29, 2009: A Finnish study of 280 children has found that a good night’s sleep could reduce hyperactivity and bad behavior among children. Those children who slept fewer than eight hours were the most hyperactive. Experts said adequate sleep could improve behavior in healthy children and reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research team said not enough was understood about the role of sleep in children’s lives but it has been estimated that a third of US children do not get enough sleep.
According to the study’s leader, Dr Julia Paavonen of the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare, “Even 30 minutes per night has been shown to give a major improvement in objective cognitive tests, improving reaction times, impulsivity and attention spans.” She said further studies were needed to confirm the link, and cautioned parents that sleep needs differ among individuals. “The only way to take care that a particular child has enough sleep is to see if they seem to have a problem.”
Sleep expert Neil Stanley, of the University of East Anglia, mentioned the increasing rate of ADHD diagnoses and asked, “How much of what is diagnosed as ADHD is something that can be modified or improved, or even totally cured by a more rigid sleep pattern?”