Sleep in Children With Disruptive Behavioral Disorders

• Published in: Behavioral sleep medicine 2014-09, Vol.12 (5), p.373-388
• Main Authors: Aronen, Eeva T., Lampenius, Tuulikki, Fontell, Tuija, Simola, Petteri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actigraphy; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - complications; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - psychology; Behavior disorders; Case-Control Studies; Child; Children; Comorbidity; Comparative studies; Conduct Disorder - complications; Female; Humans; Male; Oppositional defiant disorder; Parents; Parents & parenting; Pediatrics; Self Report; Severity of Illness Index; Sleep; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Wake Disorders - complications; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms
• ISSN: 1540-2002; 1540-2010
• DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2013.821653

This study compared sleep in patients with Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder (CD/ODD) and normative children and evaluated the associations between sleep and behavioral symptoms in patients. Participants were 30 patients, aged 7 to 12 years, with diagnoses of CD/ODD and their age and gender matched controls. Patients with CD/ODD and their parents reported significantly more sleep problems than did the control children and their parents (p values < 0.01). By actigraphy, CD/ODD children with comorbid ADHD slept significantly less than did the patients with CD/ODD alone and the controls. In patients, low sleep amount and efficiency associated with increased amount of parent-reported externalizing symptoms (r = −0.72, 0.66, p values < 0.001). Results highlight the need of evaluating sleep in children with CD/ODD. Improving their sleep may ease their symptoms.