Attention deficit disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity and short attention span. While much attention has been placed on daytime symptoms that interfere with school and work, nighttime symptoms that disrupt sleep or relationships carry over to problems during the day. The major nighttime symptoms include sleep disturbances, bed-wetting and sexual problems.
Sleep Disturbances
People with ADD report more sleep disturbances than other people. Children with ADD report sleep onset problems 16 percent of the time, and they awaken during sleep 39 percent of the time. They also report being more tired during the day from poor sleep. Observers report that ADD sufferers move around more in their sleep, which is consistent with excess motor activity during the day. Prescription treatment for ADD, which is involves stimulants, can cause insomnia and sleep disturbances, further compounding the nighttime ADD symptom of poor sleep. Little clinical data exists on whether adults with ADD suffer from the same sleep disturbances.
Enurisis
ADD children have a higher rate of nighttime enurisis, or bed-wetting, than other children. Twenty-five percent of ADD children suffer from bed-wetting, while 10 percent of bed-wetters have ADD. Enurisis can compound the ADD sufferer's low-esteem problems.
Sexual Problems
ADD patients have problems with sexual relationships because of their sport attention span, high distractibility, lack of motivation, need for novelty, impulsivity, and inability to understand the needs of their partner. People with ADD often have low sex drives because of low initiation of sex, unsatisfactory sex due to stopping in the middle due to distractions, rejection by the partner because of her unwillingness to constantly try new things, or the ADD sufferer's willingness to please the partner.
References
- "Getting to Dry: How to Help Your Child Overcome Bedwetting," Max Maizels, Diane Rosenbaum, and Barbara Keating; 1999
- "Principles and Practice of Pediatric Sleep Medicine"; Stephen Sheldon, Richard Ferber, and Meir Kryger; 2005
- "Is It You, Me, Or Adult ADD?: Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love has Attention Deficit Disorder," Gina Pera; 2008
