ADHD & Sleep Disorder Treatments in Citrus Heights, CA.

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting children today. Many parents worry about being able to spot issues and symptoms for early detection while struggling with the treatment requirements like medication and behavioral therapies. There are three main types of ADHD inattentive type, hyperactive type, and combination type.

Inattentive type usually presents with a lack of focus or difficulty staying on one task. Inattentive type ADHD affects the ability to follow sequential instructions and participate in interactive conversations.

Hyperactive type is characterized by constant bouts of anxious activity, rapid speech, and impatience. In younger children, hyperactive type ADHD causes continuous manic energy in the form of running, jumping, and climbing. Older children become chronically impulsive.

Combination type is a combination of both lack of focus and hyperactive symptoms of inattentive type and hyperactive type requiring treatment that effectively addresses both types.

Recognizing the signs

Many parents struggle with determining if their child’s behavior is evidence of normal developmental activity or ADHD and telling the difference can be difficult for even professionals. The first sign is persistent symptoms. Children with ADHD don’t “grow out” of hyperactivity and difficulty focusing. The evidence is usually easily detected by consistently troubled school performance or at-home behavior.

Here are a few signs you should look for to determine if it’s time to get your child screened for neurodevelopmental disorders

• Constant fidgeting and nervous activity
• Rapid speech
• Difficulty performing tasks that require slow movement
• Impatience
• Constant daydreaming
• Easily distracted / tempted
• Trouble keeping up in verbal exchanges

Children with ADHD have a higher probability of being diagnosed with a sleep disorder and about half of the children diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder have trouble breathing while sleeping. Breathing-related sleep disorders are prevalent in children, but they are increasingly troublesome for children with ADHD because the conditions can increase the presence of ADHD symptoms. Sleep apnea in children present with similar symptoms of ADHD and has caused misdiagnosis of the neurodevelopmental condition. In adults sleep apnea usually presents with sluggishness and fatigue, in children the characteristics are irritability, moodiness, aggression, difficulty focusing and hyperactivity.

Covering the bases between ADHD and sleep disorders is essential to any parent looking to help their children succeed and improve their behavior. Analyzing your child’s sleeping patterns should be one of the first steps in your plan of action.