Screen / Test Your Child / Teen for Major Pediatric Sleep Disorders:

Bed-Wetting

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Insomnia

Narcolepsy

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Restless Legs Syndrome

Sleep Talking

Sleep Terrors / Night Terrors / Nightmares

Sleep Walking

Snoring

Teeth Grinding

Sleep Apnea
Sleep Disorders - Keyword Definitions
ADHD
ADHD is a developmental disorder that manifests itself during childhood, usually before the seven years of age, and is characterized by inattention and/or hyperactive-impulsive behaviors. The diagnostic criteria also require that the condition must also significantly impair one or more major life activities, such as interpersonal relations, educational functioning, or occupational goals, as well as cognitive or adaptive functioning. 

The symptoms of ADHD fall into two broad categories: 

Inattention: 
1. Failing to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes when doing schoolwork or other activities 

2. Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks 

3. Appearing not to listen when spoken to 

4. Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks 

5. Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization, such as school projects 

6. Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities, such as school supplies 

7. Excessive distractibility 

8. Forgetfulness 

Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior:
1. Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat 

2. Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate 

3. Running or climbing at inappropriate times 

4. Difficulty in quiet play 

5. Frequently feeling restless 

6. Excessive speech 

7. Mood swings 

8. Answering a question before the speaker has finished 

9. Failing to await one's turn 

10. Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times 
 

A positive diagnosis is usually only made if the patient has experienced six of the above symptoms for at least three months. Symptoms must appear consistently in more than one environment (e.g., not only at home or only at school) and interfere with function there. However, many other disorders can look like ADHD, but are not, such as Sleep Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, family turmoil, etc. Before considering ADHD as the cause, screen your child/adolescent for a major sleep disorder, which is easily correctable if s/he has one. You can screen your child by going to www.Sleepdisorderhelp.com and clicking onto “Screening by Parents” menu and then completing the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students. It will give you an immediate graph with report that describes the probability of whether your child has a major sleep disorder and what to do to correct. After many sleep disorders are corrected, the child’s ADHD-like behaviors decrease or disappear completely.
ADHD Medications
There are many options available to treat people diagnosed with ADHD. The options with the most scientific support include a variety of medications, behavior modification, and educational interventions. Research trials suggest that medication alone is superior to behavioral therapy alone, but that the combination of behavioral therapy with medication has a small additional benefit over medication alone. Before a diagnosis of ADHD is made, sleep disorders should be ruled out by screening your child with the Sleep Disorder Inventory for Students (www.Sleepdisorderhelp.com). If your child appears to have a sleep disorder, they are usually corrected fairly easily, and often the child’s ADHD-symptoms improve significantly or disappear completely post-treatment of the sleep disorder. The most frequently used medications to treat ADHD are mainly stimulants, which stimulate the areas of the brain responsible for focus, attention, and impulse control. The most often prescribed stimulant is Ritalin. Another fairly common one is Dexedrine. A second-line medication often prescribed is Clonidine, initially developed to treat high blood pressure. Low doses in evenings and/or afternoons are sometimes used in conjunctions with stimulants to help with sleep and also because Clonidine sometimes helps moderate impulsive and oppositional behavior and may even reduce tics. However, if your child was already having difficulty sleeping prior to taking a stimulant medication (i.e., snoring, choking or gasping in sleep, kicking and rolling around frequently in sleep, difficulty falling asleep or irritable and difficult to awaken, awakening frequently in the night, or tired often in the daytime), then you should screen your child for a Sleep Disorder before you consider placing your child on medications for ADHD because most sleep disorders are correctable if you consult a pediatric sleep specialist or screen your child/adolescent for sleep disorders by go to: www.Sleepdisorderhelp.com and clicking onto “Screening by Parents” menu and then complete the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students. Because most of the medications used to treat ADHD are considered powerful stimulants with a potential for abuse, there is controversy surrounding prescribing these drugs for children and adolescents. However, research studying ADHD sufferers who either receive treatment with stimulants or go untreated has indicated that those treated with stimulants are in fact much less likely to abuse any substance than ADHD sufferers who are not treated with stimulants.
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
See ADHD
 
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