Sleep and well-being among university students with ADHD symptoms

Studies have shown that sleep problems and ADHD symptoms are common in adolescence. However, the exact nature of the association is lacking and there is a lack of research on this matter among university students. The current study examined the relationship between sleep (sleep quality, sleep duration), chronotype and ADHD symptoms, and if sleep varied between the subtypes of ADHD, inattention, and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. Data from a study questionnaire including answers from 509 university students, aged 18 to 49, was used. Results showed that there was a significant association between ADHD symptoms and poor sleep quality. An association was also found between chronotype and the ADHD subtype, inattention. No association was found between the ADHD subtype, hyperactivity-impulsivity, nor between ADHD symptoms in general and chronotype. On the other hand, the ADHD subtype, hyperactivity-impulsivity, was associated with shorter sleep duration, but not the ADHD subtype, inattention. Consistent with previous findings, sleep problems are related to ADHD. Further research on university students with ADHD is needed to understand the exact nature of the association. Keywords: ADHD, inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, university students, sleep problems, sleep quality, chronotype, sleep duration.Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að svefnvandamál og ADHD einkenni eru algeng á unglingsárum en ekki er vitað nóg um eðli þessarra tengsla. Einnig er skortur á rannsóknum á þessu viðfangsefni meðal háskólanema. Í þessari rannsókn var sambandið milli svefns (svefngæða, svefnlengdar), dægurgerðar og ADHD einkenna kannað og hvort það væri mismunandi milli undirgerða ADHD, einkenna athyglisbrests og ofvirkni-hvatvísi. Notuð voru gögn úr rannsókn þar sem 509 háskólanemar, á aldrinum 18 til 49 ára, svöruðu spurningalista. Niðurstöður sýndu marktæk tengsl milli ADHD einkenna og skertra svefngæða. Einnig fundust tengsl milli ADHD undirgerðarinnar athyglisbrests og dægurgerðar en hvorki milli ADHD undirgerðarinnar hvatvísi – ofvirkni né milli almennra ADHD einkenna og dægurgerðar. Að auki voru tengsl milli ADHD undirgerðarinnar hvatvísi-ofvirkni og minni svefnlengdar en ekki milli ADHD undirgerðarinnar athyglisbrests og minni svefnlengdar. Niðurstöðurnar eru því í samræmi við fyrri rannsóknir og sýndu að tengsl eru milli ADHD einkenna og svefnvandamála. Þörf er á framtíðarrannsóknum meðal háskólanema með ADHD til að skoða frekar eðli þessara tengsla. Lykilorð: ADHD, athyglisbrestur, ofvirkni-hvatvísi, háskólanemar, svefnvandamál, svefngæði, dægurgerð, svefnlengd