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Insomnia Remission Eases Adult ADHD Severity
In adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), remission of insomnia disorder was associated with major improvement in ADHD clinical severity 6 months later, according to a study published in Psychiatry Research.
“These results highlight the impact that insomnia disorder has on the clinical severity of adult ADHD,” researchers wrote, “and therefore, the value of systematically exploring and treating insomnia disorder, as it could be considered a predictor of adult ADHD severity.”
The analysis included 87 adults with ADHD and insomnia disorder followed over 6 months. During baseline and follow-up visits, a psychiatrist provided psychoeducation and sleep hygiene education and, if necessary, pharmacological treatment for insomnia. ADHD medications were not changed during the study period.
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Remission of insomnia disorder occurred in 44.6% of participants at 3 months and 72.4% of participants at 6 months, according to the study. Insomnia disorder was more common in women and older patients at 3 months, but at 6 months no such differences were observed.
Insomnia remission was associated with a greater improvement in ADHD symptoms and severity throughout the 6-month follow-up, the study found. Remission of insomnia disorder was also linked with improvement in psychiatric comorbidities and better health-related quality of life among participants.
“There are no significant differences in our results to suggest any association between the different ADHD presentations and greater remission or persistence of insomnia disorder. This suggests that insomnia disorder persistence could be related to ADHD severity and not to the different ADHD presentations,” researchers wrote. “Likewise, no significant differences were identified regarding ADHD pharmacological treatment, both with stimulant and nonstimulant drugs, and ADHD treatment stability.”
The study findings may lead to a better understanding of the complex interplay between insomnia and ADHD and, consequently, a better clinical approach to both disorders, the authors concluded.
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