Are you struggling to sleep at night, feeling restless and unfocused during the day? Do you find it hard to concentrate on tasks or activities that normally bring you joy? You’re not alone. Research suggests that adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) traits are more likely to experience insomnia, which can exacerbate their symptoms.

A recent study published in BMJ Mental Health found a strong link between ADHD traits, insomnia severity, and reduced life satisfaction. The researchers analyzed data from over 1,300 adult participants who completed an online survey about ADHD traits, sleep disturbances, circadian factors, depression, and quality of life. Their findings revealed that:

* Adults with higher ADHD traits reported worse depression, more severe insomnia, lower sleep quality, and a preference for going to bed and waking up later.
* Insomnia severity predicted a lower quality of life, suggesting that it may be a key factor in the vicious cycle between ADHD and reduced well-being.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Sarah L. Chellappa, notes that “sleep disruption can impact neurobehavioral and cognitive systems, including attention and emotional regulation.” This underscores the importance of addressing insomnia in individuals with ADHD traits.

Professor Samuele Cortese, a co-author on the paper, emphasizes the need for further research to understand this complex interplay between ADHD and insomnia. He suggests that targeting insomnia complaints through therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) or Sleep Restriction therapy may help improve the quality of life for individuals with higher ADHD traits.

While the study’s findings are promising, it’s essential to remember that every individual is unique, and addressing insomnia requires a personalized approach. By acknowledging the intersection of ADHD and insomnia, we can begin to break this vicious cycle and work towards improving overall well-being.

If you or someone you know struggles with ADHD and insomnia, consider consulting a healthcare professional for guidance on managing symptoms and improving quality of life.

A recent study has shed light on the increased risk of psychopathology in children whose parents have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Gregorio Marañón University Hospital in Madrid followed 238 children (aged 6-17) for four years, comparing them with a control group of parents without these conditions.

The study found that children of parents with schizophrenia had a higher risk of developing attention deficit disorder, disruptive disorders, and subclinical psychotic symptoms. In contrast, children of parents with bipolar disorder were more likely to experience mood disorders, attention deficit disorder, and subclinical bipolar symptoms.

This research highlights the importance of family and social interventions in mitigating this risk. Better parental psychosocial functioning and higher socioeconomic status were associated with a lower presence of mental health problems in children.

The study’s findings are part of the BASYS (Bipolar and Schizophrenia Young Offspring Study) project, which aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of vulnerability to mental disorders in childhood and adolescence.

While more research is needed, this study underscores the need for preventive strategies in high-risk populations. It also emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up of children of parents with severe mental illness.

This rewritten article aims to provide a clear and concise overview of the study’s findings, making it accessible to a general audience while maintaining the core ideas and scientific rigor of the original text.

The study, published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, provides reassuring news for people with migraine who take common medications called triptans before or during pregnancy. Researchers found no increase in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD, in children whose mothers took these medications while pregnant.

Study author Hedvig Nordeng, PhD, from the University of Oslo in Norway, emphasized that the results are encouraging for people with migraine who may be taking these drugs before they even know that they are pregnant. This information is particularly helpful for their physicians, who can make more informed decisions about treating debilitating migraine attacks.

The study involved health registry records for the entire Norwegian population and identified 26,210 pregnancies in female participants with migraine at the start of pregnancy. The researchers divided the participants into four groups based on their triptan use before and during pregnancy:

* Low use and stopped using them before pregnancy (42%)
* Increased use six months before pregnancy and stopped using them in early pregnancy (31%)
* Moderate use before pregnancy and continued into early pregnancy (21%)
* Used triptans before and during pregnancy (6%)

The researchers followed the children born for an average of eight years, checking health registries for diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders. Overall, 1,140 children, or 4.3%, were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder during the study. The most common were ADHD and speech and language disorders.

When adjusting the results to account for other factors that could affect the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as a parent having a neurodevelopmental disorder, folic acid intake, or use of other drugs like opioids or antidepressants, the researchers found no increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders among children exposed to triptans prenatally.

“Migraine affects almost one in five people of childbearing age,” Nordeng said. “While symptoms often improve during pregnancy, about 8% of people experience worsening attacks during pregnancy, which can lead to increased risks of both maternal and fetal complications, so it’s vital to have treatment options available.”

A limitation of the study was that researchers did not verify whether people took their migraine medications; they only checked if participants filled their prescriptions. This might mean that actual drug exposure may be different than the estimates.

Overall, this study provides a reassuring message for people with migraine who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant: taking triptans during pregnancy does not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.