Why carry out this study?

Sleep disorders are common yet frequently underdiagnosed in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), contributing to worsened cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.

There is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data on the full spectrum of sleep disorders in children with ADHD in Vietnam, highlighting an important unmet clinical need.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep disorders on the basis of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3) criteria and to identify clinical and behavioral factors associated with sleep disturbances in children with ADHD.

What was learned from the study?

Sleep disorders were diagnosed in 70.0% of children with ADHD. Insomnia (40.2%), OSA (23.4%), and parasomnias (27.8%) were the most common disorders. Sleep disturbances were significantly associated with the inattentive ADHD subtype, psychiatric comorbidities, tonsil/adenoid hypertrophy, iron-deficiency anemia, and various adverse sleep behaviors.

Routine sleep screening, using both behavioral questionnaires and objective diagnostic tools, is essential for children with ADHD to enable early detection and intervention.

Specific clinical factors such as psychiatric comorbidities and physical abnormalities may help clinicians identify children at higher risk for sleep disorders, enabling more targeted and effective management strategies.