Relationship between Sleep Problems in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Mental Health of their Parents

Background and Objective: Sleep disorder is a complex comorbidity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there is generally a reciprocal effect between them. Considering its adverse consequences on children and their families, the aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of sleep disorders in children with ADHD and the relationship between the sleep problems and mental health of their parents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 ADHD children aged 4-12 years were selected using simple and available sampling method among all children referred to the Pediatric Psychiatric Clinic of Yahyanejad Hospital during 2020. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) for children and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21(DASS-21) for both parents completed by the same researcher through an interview method. A value of p 0.05 was statistically considered significant. Findings: One hundred 4-12-year-old children with a mean age of 7.72±2.31 years participated in this study. The mean CSHQ for ADHD children was 54.07 ± 6.29. The most common sleep disorders were bedtime resistance (92%), sleep duration (69%) and sleep anxiety (64%). There was a relationship between CSHQ score with depression (R=0.31, P=0.002), anxiety (R=0.26, P=0.008) and stress (R=0.23, P=0.02) in mothers. Conclusion: Bedtime resistance was the most common complaint of ADHD children. Moreover, sleep problems in children were related to depression, stress and anxiety in their mothers.