Listen to “Sleep and the ADHD Brain: Why It’s Critical and How to Get More” with Joel Nigg, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Super, M.D.

Listen to “Sleep and the ADHD Brain: Why It’s Critical and How to Get More” with Joel Nigg, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Super, M.D.

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Sleep problems are highly correlated with ADHD, but there remains confusion about why they overlap and the best practices to address them in children. What’s more, professionals often neglect to consider sleep problems when assessing a child or adult for ADHD, and parents too often overlook the vital role that sleep plays in healthy attention and brain development.

We know that children with ADHD are at high risk for secondary sleep problems or behavioral problems when going to bed and waking up. Less is known about the true incidence of primary or biologically driven sleep problems in patients with ADHD. What we do know is that concerns over sleep are very different in teens than in pre-adolescent children — and different again in adults. The good news is, sleep challenges correctly identified at any stage of life, are usually resolved pretty quickly.

In this episode, learn:

• The importance of sleep for brain development and learning in children, teens, and adults
• Optimal sleep amounts associated with different developmental stages
• Common behaviorally related sleep problems in children and adolescents with ADHD, including the role of technology
• Simple behavioral guidelines for limiting sleep problems and key tips for addressing sleep-related problems
• The unique sleep challenges of adolescents and their unique medical and behavioral  treatment considerations
• How to decide when it’s time for a full evaluation for a possible primary sleep disorder
• Pros and cons of medication and behavioral treatments for sleep-related conditions in kids with ADHD

Listener testimonials:

• “Thank you for all of your proactive support and your informative talks, webinars, and literature and articles! Please keep up the good work.”
• “Every time I listen to one of your broadcasts I learn a bit more about ADHD. I am so glad I found your website as the content and resources available are just great. Thank you for being the light and support system in my life.”
• “Well done! As an adult with ADHD and sleep problems, after this webinar, I’m tempted to search for the hidden location of the recorder in my house because it seemed that the content was so familiar. There were behaviors and even thoughts that I was unaware of having! Good job, guys!”
• “They were very informative, please thank them both on our behalf. I would enjoy participating in another webinar with either or both of them again.”

Related recommended resources:

• Free Download: Sound Sleep Solutions for Kids with ADHD
• Exercise and Sleep: The Better Brain Therapies Your Child Needs
• End the ‘I Can’t Sleep’ Cycle of Exhaustion
• How Sleeplessness Looks a Lot Like ADHD
• What Comes First: ADHD or Sleep Problems?

This ADHD Experts webinar was first broadcast live on November 28, 2018. ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.

Interested in advertising in ADDitude’s ADHD Experts podcast? Email anne@newhopemedia.com.

Note on audio quality: This podcast is a recording of a webinar series, and the audio has been captured from telephone conversations, not recorded in a studio. Register to participate in the live webinars at: www.additude.com/webinars/