A recent study presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting revealed that household chaos and sleep hygiene play a vital role in the connection between sleep quality and ADHD symptoms in teenagers. The findings from structural equation modeling indicate that household chaos and sleep hygiene were notable influencers in the correlation between ADHD symptoms and low sleep quality. This suggests that enhancing daily routines and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule may help alleviate ADHD symptoms and improve sleep quality.The household environment plays a crucial role in improving the sleep quality of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. According to Jamie Flannery, a doctoral candidate at the University of Notre Dame, the study’s results shed light on some contextual factors that may help explain the increase in sleep difficulties observed in youth with higher symptoms of ADHD. This suggests that high ADHD symptoms, along with poor sleep hygiene and the familial environment, contribute to the observed sleep problems in adolescents.The study found that household chaos and ADHD symptoms in adolescents are linked to poor sleep quality. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers aged 13 to 18 should aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Getting enough sleep has a range of benefits, including improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health. The researchers gathered data from 259 sets of mothers and adolescents from different parts of the U.S. Mothers rated the severity of their adolescent’s ADHD symptoms, while the adolescents completed surveys about their sleep quality and home environment.
and sleep hygiene.
Flannery emphasized the importance of adolescents and their families understanding that various factors can impact sleep quality, not just individual characteristics.
“Improving sleep hygiene in adolescents with ADHD can be helpful, but a lack of structure, routine, and stability in the household can also negatively affect the quality of sleep for the adolescent,” Flannery explained.
Â
