Are Sleep Aids Associated with the Severity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Adults Screened for Insomnia? A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) : Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms and insomnia are closely related. The present study examined whether the use of different sleep aids was related to severe ADHD-like symptoms in Jordanian adults screened for insomnia. (2) : This cross-sectional study used predefined inclusion criteria. The severity of ADHD was assessed using the validated Arabic version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. (3) : Data were analyzed from 244 subjects who met the inclusion criteria for severe insomnia, of which 147 (65.3%) reported not using any sleep aid, 50 (22.3%) reported using homeopathy remedies as sleep aids, and 41 (18.3%) reported using over-the-counter antihistamines as sleep aids. Regression analysis revealed that the use of such sleep aids-namely, "homeopathy herbal remedies" and "over-the-counter antihistamines"-was not associated ( > 0.05) with ADHD-like symptoms. However, "age above 31 years old" was significantly associated (B = -3.95, t = -2.32, = 0.002) with lower ADHD severity, while the "diagnosis with chronic diseases" was significantly associated (B = 4.15, t = 1.99, = 0.04) with higher ADHD severity. (4) : Sleep aids are not associated with ADHD-like symptoms in adults. More research is required to uncover the risk factors for adult ADHD, especially insomnia.
Gammoh Omar, Alqudah Abdelrahim, Qnais Esam, Aljabali Alaa A A, Binsaleh Ammena Y, Shilbayeh Sireen Abdul Rahim
Mar 2024
Journal of clinical medicine
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), insomnia, sleep aids
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.