Sleep characteristics of children and adolescents with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

This article reviews sleep characteristics of children and adolescents who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Research on sleep disturbances in individuals who have ADHD without comorbid conditions, measured both objectively and subjectively, is first presented. The impact of primary sleep disorders associated with ADHD is then discussed. The effects of psychiatric comorbidities on the sleep patterns of children and adolescents who have ADHD are then reviewed, and sleep alterations associated with medications used to treat ADHD and comorbid conditions are addressed.