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Diet and sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder : preliminary data in Australian children
journal contribution
posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00 authored by Sarah BlundenSarah Blunden, N Sinn, C MilteSleep disturbances are common and consequential in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Diet also influences ADHD symptoms. Interrelationships between diet, sleep and behaviour in children diagnosed with ADHD are little studied. We investigated, via parental report, the relationships between sleep and diet in 88 Australian children aged 6–13 years old (M ¼ 8.94, SD ¼ 1.78). This pilot data shows that 30 per cent of the children had sleep disturbance (less than or equal 2 standard deviations above the mean) with significant relationships between ADHD symptoms, sleep disturbance and diet. Parents who reported more sleep disturbance also reported a higher intake of carbohydrate, fats, and, most particularly, sugar which was also a significant predictor of night time sweating. These findings suggest an interrelationship between diet and sleep in children with ADHD. Given that both sleep and dietary intake are potentially modifiable behaviours within treatment regimes of children with ADHD, further investigation is needed.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Volume
15Issue
1Start Page
14End Page
24Number of Pages
11ISSN
1367-4935Location
UKPublisher
SagePublisher DOI
Full Text URL
Language
en-ausPeer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- No
External Author Affiliations
University of South Australia;Era Eligible
- Yes