Interesting study information

Saw this interesting blurb on my news shorts this morning:

Sleep Research May Shift Thinking on ADHD

Scientists say those with the condition often have dysfunctional circadian rhythms

Generally speaking, people with ADHD tend to have trouble sleeping. But new research suggests that sleep problems might not merely be a symptom of the condition but at the root of what's causing it, reports the Washington Post. A perspective paper (not a clinical trial) in Frontiers in Psychiatry sees a strong correlation between ADHD and people with dysfunctional circadian rhythms, which govern when we sleep and wake. Physician Brandon Luu and co-author Nicholas Fabiano pull together "convergent" evidence that people with ADHD often run on a significantly later internal schedule: up to 78% show delayed sleep timing, with melatonin kicking in much later than is normal.

"In other words, some people with ADHD may not simply be 'bad at going to bed,'" observes a post at Proactive Psychiatry. "Their internal clock may actually be shifted later." The researchers urge clinicians to routinely screen for circadian disruption and use sleep tracking as a cheap, low-risk tool for ADHD. The wider field is moving that way, too: Psychiatrists are probing whether misaligned body clocks underlie conditions from depression to schizophrenia, and testing fixes like morning light therapy, structured wake times, and timed exercise to "phase shift" patients closer to society's demands, notes the Post. The thinking is that in at least some cases, recalibrating the clock could ease the mind.

Back to Denise now. Sounds like strategies to overcome are in line with what we've learned.

Link to the full article in Washington Post (may be a pay wall): The surprising new idea that is reshaping how we think about ADHD - The Washington Post

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Interesting study information