Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) consistently score lower on happiness and quality of life assessments, but it might not be the condition that's fueling this. New research suggests that one factor, insomnia severity, could also be making all other ADHD symptoms worse.…
This is the first time scientists have demonstrated that insomnia severity, rather than sleep quality or circadian rhythm shifts, directly impacts ADHD traits and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. Researchers out of the University of Southampton and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience looked at data from 1,364 participants (mean age 52 years) in the Netherlands Sleep Registry who had provided answers to questions regarding ADHD traits, sleep disturbances, bedtime/sleep patterns, depression and quality of life. The team found a strong link between ADHD traits and disrupted sleep patterns – especially severe insomnia, poor sleep quality and a tendency toward later sleep schedules. Among those with ADHD traits, insomnia severity was the only sleep factor that significantly explained their lower quality of life.
