The Circadian System and Sleep in Individuals with ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with sleep disorders and abnormalities of the circadian system. In recent studies, ADHD has been linked to late chronotype and delayed sleep phase disorder, clock gene polymorphisms, geographic variation in solar irradiation, longer sleep latency, and impaired sleep quality. However, research findings in children with ADHD often differ from those in adult patients. A new diagnostic category, ADHD-SOM, has been proposed to describe individuals whose symptoms are partially caused by chronic sleep issues. However, most of the evidence is correlational. The thesis summarizes research on sleep and circadian correlates of ADHD and some of the potential mechanisms explaining these associations. Chronotherapy and sleep interventions are promising methods of adjunctive ADHD treatment