Prevalence of restless legs syndrome and sleep problems in Korean children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a single institution study

Abstract

PurposeAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder in school-aged children. Patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) often present with ADHD symptoms and vice versa. This study was the first to attempt to identify the prevalence of RLS and sleep problems in children with ADHD in Korea.MethodsPatients diagnosed with ADHD were asked to complete a sleep questionnaire. The sleep questionnaire included items to help identify the presence of four typical symptoms that are used as diagnostic criteria for RLS.ResultsA total of 56 patients, including 51 boys and 5 girls (mean age, 10.7 years old) participated. Of these, 24 complained of pain, discomfort, or an unpleasant sensation in the legs. Based on the RLS diagnostic criteria, 2 patients were diagnosed with definite RLS and 4 with probable RLS. There were no significant differences in age, medication dosage, or neuropsychological test scores between the patients with and without RLS symptoms.ConclusionApproximately 42.9% of patients with ADHD presented with RLS symptoms and 7.1% of these were diagnosed with RLS. Patients with ADHD also experienced various other sleep disorders. Thus, appropriate assessment and treatment for sleep disorders in patients with ADHD is essential.

Sleep problems increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain in boys but not girls: a prospective cohort study

“…high pain and high impact). In addition, a proportion of the musculoskeletal pain reported by children might be growing pain, which might overlap with restless legs syndrome [19]. However, the methods used to assess musculoskeletal pain in this study have been used previously [16,17,22] and are considered reliable in children from the age of 8 years [22,23].…”

“…Other factors may also affect the relationship between sleep and musculoskeletal pain, including levels of physical activity [ 14 , 15 ] and the presence of psychological symptoms [ 8 , 16 – 18 ]. For example, children with psychological symptoms such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might also experience specific types of sleep problems such as the restless legs syndrome [ 19 ]. Restless legs syndrome can occur together with growing pain or without, in which case children with restless legs syndrome might still report symptoms that are misdiagnosed for growing pains [ 20 ], thus showing the complexity of the relationship between sleep and pain.…”

Sleep Difficulties are Associated with Parent Report of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo

“…22 Second, some children with ADHD demonstrate restlessness during sleep including tossing and turning, greater nocturnal activity, frequent waking during sleep, and even symptoms of restless leg syndrome. 7,23 Third, difficulty waking in the morning has been observed including difficulty getting out of bed, not feeling alert in the morning, and waking up without feeling well rested. 24 Finally, studies have also found a relationship between sleep-disordered breathing problems (e.g., snoring, sleep apnea) and ADHD symptoms.…”

Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome in Adult ADHD and Its Subtypes

“…In children, among the general population, inattention and hyperactivity were associated with symptoms of RLS (Chervin et al, 2002). In children with ADHD, the prevalence of RLS and RLS symptoms was 10.5-44% (Cortese et al, 2005;Kwon, Sohn, Jeong, Chung, & Seo, 2014).…”