Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

This may seem like stating the obvious but lack of sleep has been linked to ADHD. So Professor Fallone decided to find out if children got hyperactive when deprived of sleep.
The study was run over three weeks. In the first week children slept their normal patterns. In the second they stayed up late and in the third week they got the optimal amount of sleep. The children’s teachers did not know how much sleep the kids were getting but had to rate the children’s performance. This single-blind technique ensured that the teachers’ rating were genuine and not led by their expectations.
Not surprisingly children who missed sleep performed worse at school and were less attentive but they didn’t become hyperactive. It has been suggested that hyperactive behaviour is a way of staying awake and coping with tiredness. The full results of the study have not been published but you read a press release from the Brown University:
Less Sleep, More Struggles for Elementary and Middle School Students. The full paper will be published in the Journal of Sleep in December.
See also: Sleep And Television, You Are Feeling Sleepy…, Snoring, Sleep and Hyperactivity