Effect of methylphenidate on sleep status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Sleep disorders are one of the most important problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Methylphenidate has different effects on the sleep parameters of affected children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sleep status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) before and after methylphenidate use.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 34 children (5 to 12 years) diagnosed with ADHD who referred to Ibne-Sina hospital in Mashhad city (Iran). The children were treated with methylphenidate for four weeks. Parents completed sleep status of children before and after the treatment by Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). The mean score of childrenchr('39')s sleep status in 8 subscales was compared.

The results showed that most of the children were boys (60%) and their mean age was 8.35±2.83 years. The mean score of sleep status of children before the treatment was 54.47±7.22 and after the treatment with methylphenidate was 50.38±6.19 which was significant (P<0.001). The sleep status of children improved after treatment with methylphenidate on the subscales of resistance to sleep (P<0.001), anxiety habits (P=0.001), waking up at night (P=0.002), and daytime sleepiness (P=0.001).

The findings of this study showed that although methylphenidate consumption improves the sleep status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is not effective in all sleep subscales. Conclusively, assessing the childchr('39')s characteristics and sleep status before starting the treatment can be help to physicians to adjusting the dose to improve childchr('39')s sleep and using the other methods of improving sleep.