Sleep architecture and REM sleep measures in prepubertal children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

A 2-night polysomnographic study of 9 rigorously assessed prepubertal children who fit Diagnostic Statistical Manual-III criteria for attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) and a contrast group of 11 control children is reported. Despite the fact that 57% of the ADDH group were reported to experience restless sleep on structured parental rating forms, they did not show any sleep architecture abnormalities on polysomnographic recordings when compared with the normals at baseline other than decreased rapid eye movement (REM) activity. Seven of the ADDH boys were restudied after 6 months of continuous methylphenidate therapy (mean daily dose of 34.4 +/- 14.0 mg or 1.4 +/- 0.7 mg/kg). Across and within (pre-post) group comparisons showed that methylphenidate therapy was associated with delayed sleep onset, lengthened sleep, and changes in certain REM sleep variables.