Eye lens discoloration linked to sleep problems

If you are experiencing sleep problems as you get older, it may be due to natural eye lens discoloration, a new study shows. The study was published in the September 1 issue of the journal SLEEP. Researchers found that as the eye lens that absorbs blue light becomes more discolored with age, the risk for insomnia increases.

The study involved 970 volunteers. They all had their eyes examined by lens autofluorometry. This non-invasive method determines how much blue light is being transmitted into your retina. Blue light is the part of the light spectrum that influences your normal sleep cycle by triggering the release of melatonin into the brain. Melatonin is the hormone that signals to your body when it’s time to be asleep or awake.

Volunteers were considered to have a sleep disorder if they said that suffered from insomnia often or if they bought sleeping pills in the last 12 months. About 82% of the volunteers confirmed that they had insomnia and used sleep medication.

Researchers used this data to find out that if the levels of blue light transmitted into the retina are low due to discoloration, there is a higher risk for sleep problems. Higher rates of sleep disorders were found in older volunteers, women, smokers, and diabetics.

Sleep quality improved after cataract surgery. As of yet, there is no other method that can improve the transmission of blue light into the retina.

Photo By: Emiliano

Sleep-disordered breathing and bedwetting could go hand in hand

Does your child have problems wetting the bed at night? Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) could be playing a role. A recent study, conducted on 5-10 year olds, searched for the link between SDB and tonsil and adenoid swelling in children with enuresis (bedwetting). The study also examined what part brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels play in measuring how severe SDB is in children have enuresis. BNP is an amino acid that is produced by the heart when the heart muscle cells have been majorly stretched.

There are two types of bedwetting. A child who is a primary bed wetter has not regularly stayed dry during sleep for 6 months straight. A person who is a secondary bed wetter has stayed dry for 6 months, but then starts bedwetting at least twice a week for about 3 months.

Surveys, taken by parents with 5-10 years olds, were reviewed for signs of SDB and bedwetting. The children with SDB were clinically examined. BNP levels were calculated in 33 children with SDB and wet their beds, and also in 30 healthy children who wet their beds.

Of the children studied, about 15% had primary enuresis, and about 47 children (30%) had SDB. However, there was a lower occurrence of SDB and bedwetting when age increased. BNP levels were much higher in children who bed wet. Thirty-three children with bed wetting problems and SDB underwent adenotonsillectomies. Twenty-nine children improved; 15 were completely cured. All of the children with enuresis and SBD who had the surgery showed a big decrease in daytime enuresis.

To find out more about SDB and bedwetting visit www.yoursleep.aasmnet.org

If you think your child may have a sleep disorder, visit an AASM accreditedsleep center.

Photo By: Steven Yeh

Sleep Complaints Common for Arthritis Sufferers

More than 10 million Americans with arthritis have regular sleep disturbances. National survey data shows an especially high rate among arthritis patients – nearly 23 percent. Only about 16 percent of people without arthritis have sleep-related complaints.

The study published in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research analyzed findings from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. More than 23,134 American adults answered a variety of health-related questions. Topics ranged from diet and exercise, to substance use, sleep and chronic health problems.

Nearly 1 in 5 survey respondents said they had been diagnosed with arthritis. The study did not differentiate the two types of arthritis, inflammatory and non-inflammatory. Non-inflammatory arthritis is more common and is most often caused by aging and injury.

Patients with uncontrolled pain, depression and anxiety had the highest risk, the study found. Complaints included inability to fall asleep, interrupted sleep and daytime fatigue. The authors suggest pain and joint mobility limitations related to arthritis may predict sleep problems, rather than just a diagnosis.

Sleep disturbances are often neglected as symptoms of arthritis, the study concluded. The authors contend that doctors should ask arthritis patients about sleep problems, and provide treatment.

Workplace Disability & The Value of Sleep

The business cost of insomnia goes beyond loss of employee productivity. Workers with regular sleep disturbances go on disability more often and take longer to return to work.

A study published in the October, 2010 issue of the journal SLEEP investigated how insomnia impacts workplace health. Researchers found sleep disturbances predicted later workplace disability for mental disorders, physical illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders.

The study followed more than 56,000 active public employees in Finland for more than three years. Each of the government and public hospital employees was surveyed about sleep disturbances and preexisting health conditions at the start of the study. The authors used national records to identify which employees went on disability during the follow-up after three years.

Workers who had existing medical conditions, used prescribed pain killers or regularly performed manual labor were most likely to report severe sleep disturbance which occurred more 5-7 days per week.

Over the course of the study, 7 percent of the employees went on disability. About 1 in 3 never returned to work. Statistical analysis shows people who reported sleep disturbances had a higher likelihood of going on work disability and not returning to work. The results were adjusted for complicating factors such as shift work, depression and preexisting health problems.

Worker disability is only one of the business costs of sleep disturbances. Insomnia can also make you worse at your job.

Sometimes your job may be the source of the sleep problems. In 2009 the Sleep Education Blog reported on studies that tied high stress work and low social support at the workplace to long-term insomnia.

Is Sleep Apnea Risk Higher for Asians?

As obesity rates climb to epidemic levels in nearly every U.S. state, one population may need to be especially weary of a serious sleep disorder linked to weight gain. People of Asian descent tend to have more severe obstructive sleep apnea than Caucasians of similar age and BMI.

The findings are especially alarming because the Caucasians in the sample tended to be much more overweight than their Asian counterparts. Differences in facial bone structure appear to be the reason why Asians have a higher risk for OSA.

The findings were the result of a joint study between University researchers in Australia and China published in the August issue of the journal SLEEP. A sample of 74 Caucasian patients from an Australian clinic and 76 Chinese patients from a clinic in Hong Kong underwent a sleep study and a series of physical and x-ray measures.

OSA prevalence was similar for both populations, but Caucasians with OSA tended to be more overweight with a larger neck circumference. Chinese patients had smaller, more restrictive facial structures. When BMI measurements were similar the Chinese participants suffered from more frequent and severe breathing pauses during sleep.

The study may have some limitations due to the nature of the sample. The patients came from two very different environments and socioeconomic and culture backgrounds. Researchers caution that those factors influence the health and lifestyle habits that lead to OSA.

OSA isn’t the only sleep disorder influenced by race. An abstract presented at SLEEP 2010 showed black, white and Hispanic people all responded differently to sleep deprivation and insomnia.

Alcohol Use Risk Rises for Adolescents with Sleep Problems

Teens that develop sleep problems around the onset of puberty are more likely to use alcohol. A new study connects previous findings on adolescent sleep problems and alcohol use to puberty.

Some early-maturing adolescents develop “night owl” tendencies during the sleep pattern transition associated with the onset of puberty. Those individuals are most at-risk to develop sleep problems.

Separate research shows adolescents who hit puberty earlier than their peers are more likely to drink.

Survey data shows a clear link between those two groups. The early-maturing teens that get to sleep later were more likely to use alcohol.

The findings are in line with previous research on adults; Sleep problems can predict the onset of alcohol abuse.

The conclusion was based on questionnaires from a previous study involving Dutch school children. The authors narrowed down the field to only responses from adolescents ages 11 to 14. The findings were consistent across both genders and all education levels included in the study.

The findings will be featured in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The abstract is available online prior to publication.

Photo Courtesy Paul Hocksener

Study: sleep problems increase risk for injuries at work

Managers take notice - sleep problems can cost businesses big bucks. New research indicates employees who have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep are more at risk for workplace injury.

In a study published in the May 1st issue of SLEEP, Canadian researchers found this was especially true for blue collar workers.

The authors pulled data from the 2000-2001 “Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle.”

The study only included survey participants who were 15 to 64 years old and worked full-time or part-time. Individuals who suffered non-work related injuries were excluded from the study.

Researchers identified 65,485 uninjured workers and 4,099 people who had a work-related injury in the past 12 months. Survey respondents were categorized by gender, job class, and hours per week.

Researchers focused on participants’ responses to the following fields:

“How often do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep?”
“Number of hours spent sleeping per night”
“The frequency that sleep is refreshing”
“How often it is difficult to stay awake”
“Sleeping pills taken last month”

By analyzing each of these elements, the authors found those who reported problems sleeping were more likely to report work injuries. Women in this case were more frequently injured than men.

Workers who slept less than six hours per night were at higher risk for injury than people who slept 7-9 hours.

The most injury-prone industries for men were trade and transportation jobs; for women it was processing and manufacturing jobs.

Injury rates also spiked among shift workers. Those with rotating or split shifts were at highest risk.

Learn more about the dangers of drowsy driving and the worst professions for sleep.

Fatal familial insomnia: a genetic death sentence

There are genetic diseases and then there is fatal familial insomnia. It’s an excruciating death sentence with no cure and no treatments. Doctors can’t even temporarily relieve the suffering caused by months without sleep. For the unlucky few on this earth who inherit fatal familial insomnia conscience reality is no different than dreams and nightmares.

Little is known about fatal familial insomnia. The research is limited to its rare occurrences. Only about 40 families in the world are known to carry the genetic mutation linked to the disorder. For those families, their curse is a dark secret, a time bomb set to detonate sometime mid-life.

Fatal familial insomnia is a prion disease, the same classification as mad cow disease. The genetic mutations cause abnormal proteins to build up in the brain, destroying nerve cells and leaving sponge-like holes.

It’s a progressive disease. At first the symptoms resemble insomnia. Then it causes profuse sweating, accelerated breathing and heart rate and fever. Soon the sleep cycle breaks down, and the boundaries blur between wakefulness, REM sleep, and short-wave sleep. Death occurs after eight to 72 months, either due to a secondary infection or coma.

The disease can be traced back to 18th century Venice to a wealthy and respected doctor, educated by the disciples of Galileo, known as Subject Zero. In his book ‘The Family That Couldn’t Sleep’, Author D.T. Max wrote the doctor found he could stay up all night playing cards or studying medicine. He started sweating more and more, his servants would bring him fresh shirts every day. Months later, he was dead.

His children shared the curse. For each of them, it started with the typical symptoms of insomnia: trouble getting to sleep, and waking up early. That never stopped. Then there were cognitive problems not unlike dementia. By the ninth month of not sleeping, they were dead.

For centuries, this mysterious pattern would repeat itself. Once a prosperous family, Subject Zero’s descendents fell on hard times, poorer and unable to marry because the community learned word of the strange deaths.

Some migrated to other parts of Italy and Europe. Others went to America.

Scientific researchers discovered fatal familial insomnia in the 1980’s, when a descendent of the family named Silvano checked into the sleep clinic at Italy’s Bologna University.

Silvano, once an energetic playboy in his early 50’s, who never had any problem sleeping, suddenly took on the appearance of a sickly old man. His motor skills were staggered and his brain function was unusual. Silvano was neither asleep nor awake.

National Geographic obtained video from the clinic:

Silvano offered his brain to researchers after he slipped into a coma and died. Most of what we know today about fatal familial insomnia is because of Silvano’s offer.

Learn more about fatal familial insomnia on sleepeducation.com.

World Kidney Day: Sleep & Kidney Disease

Today is World Kidney Day to focus attention on chronic kidney disease.

The NIDDK reports that chronic kidney disease affects about 23 million adults in the U.S. Damaged kidneys fail to properly remove waste and extra water from the blood. The most advanced stage of the disease is kidney failure. This also is called end-stage renal disease.

Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. High blood pressure is the second-leading cause.

Chronic kidney disease also runs in families. Your risk is higher if a family member has it. And the risk is much higher in African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics.

Kidney disease also is a “silent” disease. You are unlikely to notice any symptoms in the early stages. But your doctor can detect it with a blood or urine test.



Research has found many links between sleep problems and kidney disease.

A study published last month indicated that self-reported "poor" sleep quality was common in people with chronic kidney disease. Poor sleep also was linked to lower quality of life scores.

In January a study reported that impaired sleep quality, mood and alertness were associated with advanced chronic kidney disease. They also were linked to dialysis dependency. The dialysis population demonstrated the highest day-to-day variability in these scores.

Last September a study found that nearly 40 percent of children with chronic kidney disease had a sleep disorder. Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements were most common.

In August a study found that people with kidney failure had frequent periodic limb movements during sleep. These movements caused almost 15 arousals per hour of sleep.

Previous research also has found that obstructive sleep apnea is very common in people with kidney failure. One review estimated that the rate of sleep apnea in people with kidney failure is 10 times greater than in the general population.

Treating kidney failure by dialysis can be exhausting. Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that some dialysis clinics now offer to perform the treatment while you sleep.

Get help for a sleep disorder at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Sleep Disorder Symptoms for National Sleep Awareness Week

The annual National Sleep Awareness Week begins today. It ends next weekend when we set our clocks ahead one hour for daylight saving time.

You’re probably aware of common sleep problems such as insomnia, nightmares and snoring. But there are many other sleep disorders that can affect your sleep and your health.

Here are some of the symptoms of other sleep disorders:

• Loud snoring, silent pauses & snorting: Loud snoring is a common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea. The snoring ends with a silent pause when breathing stops. Then a choking or snorting sound occurs when breathing resumes.


• Grinding teeth: Grinding or clenching your teeth during sleep is a symptom of bruxism. It can damage your teeth and cause jaw discomfort or pain. The sound also can disturb the sleep of your bed partner.


• Jittery legs: Having a strong urge to move your legs while resting is a sign of restless legs syndrome. This urge to move the legs grows worse at night and eases in the morning.


• Frequent leg or toe movements: The repeated flexing or tightening of a leg or toe during sleep is a sign of periodic limb movement disorder. The movements can disrupt your sleep and disturb your bed partner.


• Sudden collapse: “Cataplexy” is a unique symptom of narcolepsy. It involves a sudden loss of muscle tone while you are awake. Your head may drop, or your knees may buckle. You may completely fall out on the floor. Episodes of cataplexy tend to be triggered by a strong emotion such as laughter or surprise.


• Temporary paralysis: Being unable to move as you are waking up or falling asleep is a sign of recurrent isolated sleep paralysis. It may feel like an unseen weight is on you. Sleep paralysis also can be a symptom of narcolepsy.


• Nightly binge eating: Compulsive binge eating that occurs during the night is a sign of sleep related eating disorder. The eating tends to occur when you are only partially awake. You may wake up in the morning and discover that half-eaten food is scattered all over the place.


• Violent dream behavior: People with REM sleep behavior disorder act out vivid, action-packed dreams while they sleep. They may shout, punch, kick, run and even jump out a window. Injuries may occur to the dreamer or a bedpartner.


• Head banging: Head banging, body rocking and head rolling in bed are signs of sleep related rhythmic movement disorder. It is common in healthy infants and children.

Get help for these and other sleep disorders at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Sleep & Epilepsy

A new study evaluated daytime sleepiness in people with epilepsy.

The study involved 83 people who have epilepsy. They were compared with 80 healthy controls. Participants completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and an overnight sleep study.

Results show that people with epilepsy had a much higher level of daytime sleepiness than controls. They also spent less time in the stages of deep, slow-wave sleep and REM sleep. These changes were unrelated to the use of antiepileptic medications.

Epilepsy is a condition that involves recurrent seizures. A seizure is a temporary disturbance in brain function. It occurs when groups of nerve cells in the brain produce abnormal and excessive electrical impulses.

The AASM reports that stress and sleep deprivation are two factors that may trigger seizures. Some types of epilepsy tend to occur only or mainly during sleep. This may cause severe sleep disruption. As a result poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness may occur.

Sleep disorders also may worsen seizures and complicate their treatment. A study in the journal Sleep found that daytime sleepiness in people with epilepsy may be related to obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. Treating OSA with CPAP therapy may improve seizure control.

The CDC estimates that more than two million people in the U.S. have epilepsy. New cases are most common among children and older adults.

Conditions that may lead to epilepsy include oxygen deprivation and stroke. But a specific underlying cause is unidentified in about two-thirds of cases.

A recent journal article provided an overview of sleep and epilepsy. Learn more about sleep disorders at Sleep Education.com.

Sleepless in Brazil

A new study shows that Americans aren’t the only people who have sleep problems. The study surveyed Brazilian adults about their sleep complaints. The results were published last week in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The study involved a random sample of 2,110 adults from 150 cities in Brazil. Surveys were conducted during face-to-face interviews.

Results show that 63 percent of people had at least one sleep complaint. Sleep problems significantly increased with age. Insomnia and nightmares were more common in women; snoring was more common in men.

Insomnia was the most common complaint overall; it was reported by 33 percent of people. Twenty-nine percent of people reported having a problem with snoring.

Nightmares were reported by 22 percent of people. Twelve percent reported having a problem with “kicking legs.” This could be a sign of either restless legs syndrome or periodic limb movements.

Six percent of people complained of “breathing pauses” during sleep. This is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea.

The authors estimate that more than 79 million people in Brazil have sleep disorder complaints.

Image by Kaysha

Into the Deep: Exploring the Science of Sleep

The Oct. 24 issue of the magazine ScienceNews features four articles that focus on the science of sleep.

“The Why of Sleep” takes a look at current theories that attempt to explain the purpose of sleep. Saving energy. Promoting learning and memory. Regulating emotions. Boosting the immune system.

Sleep must provide some benefits that are preferable to waking activities. But the primary function of sleep - if there is one - remains a mystery.

One certainty is that sleep is necessary. “Dying to Sleep” examines the many health risks associated with sleep loss.

Animals need sleep too. But “All Kinds of Tired” shows that animals have a diversity of sleep styles.

And “Sleep Gone Awry” explores how sleep research is leading to a better understanding of sleep disorders. These studies may lead to the development of more effective treatments for problems such as insomnia and narcolepsy.

Couples & Sleep: Together or Apart?

Many couples may enjoy cuddling before falling asleep; but researcher Dr. Neil Stanley suggests that sharing a bed can lead to poor sleep and hurt your relationship.

Stanley told attendees of the British Science Festival that couples should consider sleeping apart, reports the Press Association. He said there is a 50-percent chance that your bed partner’s movements will disturb your sleep.

BBC News reports that Stanley follows his own advice: He and his wife sleep in separate rooms.

“Don’t be afraid to do something different,” Stanley said.

Stanley added that a couple’s sleep arrangement should be based on what makes them comfortable. If a couple sleeps well together, then there is no need to trade in a queen-sized bed for twin beds. But you may find that you are happier and healthier sleeping alone.

There is some support for this idea. A 2004 study in the journal Sleep involved 405 married couples; it found that an individual’s sleep problems can have a negative impact on his or her spouse’s health and well being.

But are separate bedrooms the solution? Maybe not; it may avoid the problem instead of solving it.

Last month the Sleep Education Blog reported that people who have a sleep disorder may be unaware of the problem. But the symptoms may be obvious to their bed partner.

People with a sleep disorder may wake their partner at night by snoring or making choking and snorting sounds; they also may grind their teeth, thrash their legs or punch and kick during sleep.

There are effective treatments for these sleep disorders; treatment can help both you and your bed partner sleep better. Get help for your partner’s sleep problem at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

These sleep tips for couples also may help you and your bed partner sleep better together.

Child Sleep Problems & Early Substance Use

Are children with sleep problems more likely to begin drinking, smoking or using drugs? A new study provides some insight.

The ongoing, longitudinal study involved children selected from a community sample of “high-risk” families; 292 boys and 94 girls participated.

Results show a gender difference; childhood sleep problems were more likely to predict early onset of substance use in boys than girls.

Sleep problems between 3 and 8 years of age predicted the onset of alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use among boys; in girls the only link was between sleep problems and the onset of alcohol use.

The authors conclude that parents should pay close attention to sleep problems in children and teens. Helping children sleep better can improve their health and behavior.

Sleep problems in children are common; about 25 percent of all children have some type of sleep problem at some point during childhood.

How common is substance use by children?

The NIAAA states that 34 percent of 8th-grade students reported drinking in the past year. A recent survey showed that more girls than boys between 12 and 17 years of age reported drinking alcohol.

A 2008 survey found that 6.8 percent of 8th-graders reported using cigarettes in the previous month. According to the NIDA, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the U.S.

The NIDA also reports that marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. A recent survey found that 15.7 percent of 8th-graders have tried marijuana at least once.

Get help for your child’s sleep problems at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you. The Cool Spot is an NIAAA Web that provides facts about alcohol for young teens.

Image by Raul Lieberwirth

Shakespeare & Sleep Disorders: To Sleep, or Not to Sleep

An article in the June 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that Shakespeare “had a very good eye for sleep disorders.”

The article explores the pages of Othello. It cites passages that contain references to sleep and sleep disorders. One passage describes how sleep deprivation will be used as a tool for persuasion.

Another passage presents a clear description of sleep talking:

There are a kind of men so loose of soul
That in their sleeps will mutter their affairs.

The passage goes on to describe behaviors that resemble a parasomnia.

The play also shows how stress can lead to severe adjustment insomnia. And one line makes it clear that insomnia remedies have been around for a long time:

Not poppy, nor mandragora,
Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
Which thou owedst yesterday.

Other articles also have noted sleep disorders in Shakespeare’s plays. One article points out that both obstructive sleep apnea and a type of central sleep apnea are described in Henry IV.

Another article reports that Shakespeare’s characters suffered from a variety of sleep disorders. These include sleepwalking, sleep apnea, insomnia and nightmares.

It many of Shakespeare’s plays, sleep could be more of a “tempest” and less of a “midsummer-night’s dream.” Perhaps Titus Andronicus summed it up best when he simply stated, “I have been troubled in my sleep this night.”

Image by Steve Prakope

Study Links ADHD to Sleep Problems in Older Children & Teens

A study in the journal Sleep examines sleep problems in older children and teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Results show that older children and teens are more likely to have a variety of sleep problems if they were diagnosed with ADHD when they were younger. These problems include insomnia, sleep terrors, nightmares, bruxism and snoring.

Study author Dr. Susan Shur-Fen Gau told the AASM that in children some symptoms of ADHD and sleep problems often overlap. These symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, behavioral problems and impaired academic performance.

“In some patients with ADHD, symptoms are caused or exaggerated by primary sleep disorders,” Shur-Fen Gau said. “Therefore treatment of the sleep disorder will improve ADHD symptoms.”

The study involved 281 children with ADHD. They were between 10 and 17 years of age; they had been diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 6.7 years. They were compared with 185 children who did not have ADHD.

Nightmares and lifetime nightmare disorder were more common in girls. Snoring was more common in boys.

Learn more about sleep problems and ADHD.

More than Insomnia: Other Sleep Disorders Are Common in Older Adults

Many older adults struggle with insomnia. Now a new study shows that in older adults other sleep disorders are common too.

The study involved 892 people between the ages of 70 and 89. Results show that 59 percent had signs of at least one sleep disorder other than insomnia.

Data were gathered by questionnaire. Symptoms were reported by a person who sleeps in the same room as the participant.

Sleep-related leg cramps was the most common sleep disorder. Symptoms were present in 32 percent of participants.



The second and third most common sleep disorders were obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movements in sleep. Other common sleep disorders were REM sleep behavior disorder, restless legs syndrome and sleepwalking.

“All of these sleep disorders can disrupt a person’s quality of life, because they affect sleep,” lead researcher Dr. Jennifer Molano said in a Mayo Clinic statement. “But if these problems are recognized, an accurate diagnosis could lead to successful treatment.”

Older adults can get help for sleep problems at an AASM-accredited sleep center. Get sleep tips for older adults on SleepEducation.com.

Childhood Sleep Disorders May Affect Cognitive Development

Long-lasting sleep problems in children can affect their cognitive development. This is the finding of a new study in the journal Sleep.

It links ongoing sleep problems through childhood with cognitive problems at age 17. Results show that long-lasting sleep problems may affect “executive functioning.”

These functions are a part of how the brain regulates thoughts and actions. One example is the ability to shift between two tasks. Another example is the ability to update the contents of working memory.

The study involved 916 twins. About 70 percent of them had more than one sleep problem at age 4. The majority of these sleep problems went away by the time the children reached the teen years.

But 33 percent of the children still had sleep problems at age 16. These children had lower scores on a computerized test of executive functions at age 17.

What does this mean for parents?

First, you should realize that sleep problems are very common in young children. Examples include nightmares, sleepwalking and behavioral insomnia.

These sleep disorders tend to go away as a child grows and develops. Often there is no negative impact on your child’s health.

But you should pay special attention to any problems that persist through the years. In the study, children who still had sleep problems around age 13 were more likely to have cognitive problems at age 17.

Watch for signs of obstructive sleep apnea. This sleep disorder can have a severe effect on your child’s health.

At all ages, you should observe how your child functions during the day. In some children behavioral problems may be related to an untreated sleep disorder.

Talk to your child’s doctor about any ongoing sleep problems. Early treatment will promote your child’s long-term health and well-being.

Parents: Pay Attention to Sleep Problems & ADHD

New research continues to examine the link between sleep and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.

The latest study appears in the March 1 issue of the journal Sleep. It finds that children with ADHD get about 33 minutes less sleep per night than other children. They also get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

The authors suggest that there may be an underlying sleep problem that is specific to ADHD. So does this mean that sleep problems are the cause of ADHD? Not quite.

“I do not believe that sleep per se is the cause of ADHD, but it may make the symptoms worse in children with sleep problems," said lead author Reut Gruber, PhD.

So sleep problems may cause ADHD-like symptoms. Sleep problems also can make ADHD symptoms more severe. But not every child with ADHD has a sleep disorder.

A common link between sleep problems and ADHD may be sleep deprivation. Children often respond to sleep loss in a different way than adults.

Sleep-deprived adults tend to be sleepy and sluggish during the day. But sleep-deprived children may be hyperactive.

This is one key symptom of ADHD. Children with ADHD also may be inattentive or impulsive.

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reviewed the evidence linking sleep problems to ADHD. Here is what it found.

Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements often occur in people with ADHD. Snoring and sleep apnea may contribute to some mild ADHD-like symptoms.

Disorders of “partial arousal” appear to be common in children with ADHD. These include sleepwalking, confusional arousals and sleep terrors.

ADHD seems to be more common in children with rhythmic movement disorder. But this needs to be confirmed by larger studies.

ADHD often involves symptoms of “sleep-onset” insomnia. Children with ADHD may have a hard time falling asleep.

So parents, make sure that your child gets enough sleep for his or her age. Observe how your child sleeps. Discuss any problems with your child’s doctor.

Your child should be screened for a sleep disorder if he or she has ADHD symptoms. Treating an underlying sleep disorder may help your child function better during the day.

Contact an AASM-accredited sleep center for help.