The relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity in children has received considerable attention in recent years. However, the literature currently overlooks the potential causal and maintaining role that sleep problems may play in this relationship. Using a biopsychosocial framework, this article highlights how sleep problems impact the biological, psychological, and social aspects of both ADHD symptomatology and obesity. An in-depth examination of this model illustrates the imperative need for future research and clinical practice to recognize and explore the role sleep has in the link between obesity and ADHD symptomatology.
Adachi-MejiaAMLongacreMRGibsonJJ. (2006) Children with a TV in their bedroom at higher risk for being overweight. International Journal of Obesity31(4): 644–651.
2.
Agranat-MegedANDeitcherCGoldzweigG. (2005) Childhood obesity and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A newly described comorbidity in obese hospitalized children. International Journal of Eating Disorders37(4): 357–359.
3.
AliNJPitsonDStradlingJR (1994) Natural history of snoring and related behaviour problems between the ages of 4 and 7 years. Archives of Disease in Childhood71(1): 74–76.
4.
American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edn). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
5.
AygunADGungorSUstundagB. (2005) Proinflammatory cytokines and leptin are increased in serum of prepubertal obese children. Mediators of Inflammation3: 180–183.
6.
BarkleyRA (1997a) ADHD and the Nature of Self-Control. New York: Guilford Press.
7.
BarkleyRA (1997b) Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin121: 65–94.
8.
BeebeDWGozalD (2002) Obstructive sleep apnea and the prefrontal cortex: Towards a comprehensive model linking nocturnal upper airway obstruction to daytime cognitive and behavioral deficits. Journal of Sleep Research11(1): 1–16.
9.
BixlerEOVgontzasANLinHM. (2009) Sleep disordered breathing in children in a general population sample: Prevalence and risk factors. Sleep32(6): 731–736.
10.
BraetCClausLVerbekenS. (2007) Impulsivity in overweight children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry16(8): 473–483.
11.
CappuccioFPTaggartFMKandalaNB. (2008) Meta-analysis of short sleep duration and obesity in children and adults. Sleep31(5): 619–626.
12.
CareyWBHegvikRLMcDevittSC (1988) Temperamental factors associated with rapid weight gain and obesity in middle childhood. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics9: 316–327.
13.
CassoffJWiebeSTGruberR (2012) Sleep patterns and the risk for ADHD: A review. Nature4: 73–80.
14.
ChaputJP (2011a) Short sleep duration promoting overconsumption of food: A reward-driven eating behavior?Sleep33(9): 1135–1136.
15.
ChaputJPKlingenbergLAstrupA. (2011b) Modern sedentary activities promote overconsumption of food in our current obesogenic environment. Obesity Reviews12: e12–e20.
16.
ChervinRDBassettiCGanoczyDA. (1997) Pediatrics and sleep symptoms of sleep disorders, inattention, and hyperactivity in children. Sleep20(12): 1185–1192.
17.
ChervinRDArchboldKHDillonJE. (2002) Inattention, hyperactivity, and symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing. Pediatrics109(3): 449–456.
18.
CorkumPTannockRMoldofskyH (1998) Sleep disturbances in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry37(6): 637–646.
19.
CserjésiRMolnárDLuminetO. (2007) Is there any relationship between obesity and mental flexibility in children?Appetite49: 675–678.
20.
DworakMSchierlTBrunsT. (2007) Impact of singular excessive computer game and television exposure on sleep patterns and memory performance of school-aged children. Pediatrics120(5): 978–985.
21.
EkelundUBrageSFrobergK. (2006) TV viewing and physical activity are independently associated with metabolic risk in children: The European Youth Heart Study. PLoS Medicine3(12): e488.
22.
EngelGL (1980) The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. American Journal of Psychiatry137(5): 535–544.
23.
ErermisSCetinNTamarM. (2004) Is obesity a risk factor for psychopathology among adolescents?Pediatrics International46(3): 296–301.
24.
FalloneGAceboCSeiferR. (2005) Experimental restriction of sleep opportunity in children: Effects on teacher ratings. Sleep28(12): 1561–1567.
25.
FaraoneSVBiedermanJMonuteauxM. (2005) Long-term effects of extended-release mixed amphetamine salts treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on growth. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychophar-macology15(2): 191–202.
26.
FidanTFidanV (2008) The impact of adenotonsillectomy on attention-deficit hyperactivity and disruptive behavioral symptoms. The Eurasian Journal of Medicine40(1): 14–17.
27.
GottliebDJChaseCVezinaRM. (2004) Sleep-disordered breathing symptoms are associated with poorer cognitive function in 5-year-old children. The Journal of Pediatrics145(4): 458–464.
28.
GozalDHolbrookCRMehlRC. (2001) Correlation analysis between NEPSY battery scores and respiratory disturbance index in snoring 6-year old children: a preliminary report. Sleep24: A126. .
29.
GozalDSimakajornboonNHolbrookCR. (2006) Secular trends in obesity and parentally reported daytime sleepiness among children referred to a pediatric sleep center for snoring and suspected sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Sleep29: A74.
30.
GregoryAMO’ConnorTG (2002) Sleep problems in childhood: A longitudinal study of developmental change and association with behavioral problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry41(8): 964–971.
31.
GregoryAMEleyTCO’ConnorTG. (2004) Etiologies of associations between childhood sleep and behavioral problems in a large twin sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry43(6): 744–751.
32.
GruberRMichaelsenSBergmameL. (2012) Short sleep duration is associated with teacher-reported inattention and cognitive problems in healthy school-aged children. Nature and Science of Sleep4: 33–40.
33.
GuilleminaultCKorobkinRWinkleR (1981) A review of 50 children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Lung159(1): 275–287.
34.
HalbowerACDegaonkarMBarkerPB. (2006) Childhood obstructive sleep apnea associates with neuropsychological deficits and neuronal brain injury. PLoS Medicine3(8): e301.
35.
Hayden-WadeHASteinRIGhaderiA. (2005) Prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of teasing experiences among overweight children vs. non-overweight peers. Obesity Research13(8): 1381–1392.
36.
HerscovitchJStussDBroughtonR (1980) Changes in cognitive processing following short-term cumulative partial sleep deprivation and recovery oversleeping. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology2(4): 301–319.
37.
HoltkampKKonradKMüllerB. (2004) Overweight and obesity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Inter-national Journal of Obesity28(5): 685–689.
38.
HornerRLMohiaddinRHLowellDG. (1989) Sites and sizes of fat deposits around the pharynx in obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea and weight matched controls. European Respiratory Journal2(7): 613–622.
39.
HuangYSGuilleminaultCLiHY. (2007) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with obstructive sleep apnea: A treatment outcome study. Sleep Medicine8(1): 18–30.
40.
HubelRJassJMarcusA. (2006) Overweight and basal metabolic rate in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Eating and Weight Disorders: EWD11(3): 139–146.
KonofalELecendreuxMCorteseS (2010) Sleep and ADHD. Sleep Medicine11(7): 652–658.
43.
KornerJLeibelRL (2003) To eat or not to eat—How the gut talks to the brain. New England Journal of Medicine349(10): 926–928.
44.
LalSThavundayilJNairNPV. (1981) Effect of sleep deprivation on dopamine receptor function in normal subjects. Journal of Neural Transmission50(1): 39–45.
45.
LamLTYangL (2007) Overweight/obesity and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder tendency among adolescents in China. International Journal of Obesity31(4): 584–590.
46.
LewinDSRosenRCEnglandSJ. (2002) Preliminary evidence of behavioral and cognitive sequelae of obstructive sleep apnea in children. Sleep Medicine3(1): 5–13.
47.
LiSJinXWuS. (2007) The impact of media use on sleep patterns and sleep disorders among school-aged children in China. Sleep30(3): 361–367.
48.
LumengJCGannonKCabralHJ. (2003) Association between clinically meaningful behavior problems and overweight in children. Pediatrics112(5): 1138–1145.
49.
MaayanLHoogendoornCSweatV. (2011) Disinhibited eating in obese adolescents is associated with orbitofrontal volume reductions and executive dysfunction. Obesity19(7): 1382–1387.
50.
MalloryGBBeckermanRC (1992) Relationships between obesity and respiratory control abnormalities. In: BeckermanRCBrouilletteRTHuntCE (eds) Respiratory Control Disorders in Infants and Children. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, pp. 342–351.
51.
MalloryGBFiserDHJacksonR (1989) Sleep-associated breathing disorders in morbidly obese children and adolescents. The Journal of Pediatrics115(6): 892–897.
52.
MarcusCLCurtisSKoernerCB. (1998) Evaluation of pulmonary function and polysomnography in obese children and adolescents. Pediatric Pulmonology21(3): 176–183.
53.
MeiZGrummer-StrawnLMPietrobelliA. (2002) Validity of body mass index compared with other body-composition screening indexes for the assessment of body fatness in children and adolescents. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition75(6): 978–985.
54.
NobleEP (2003) D2 dopamine receptor gene in psychiatric and neurologic disorders and its phenotypes. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics116(1): 103–125.
55.
OwensJMaximRMcGuinnM. (1999) Television-viewing habits and sleep disturbance in school children. Pediatrics104(3): e27.
56.
PaavonenEJRäikkönenKLahtiJ. (2009) Short sleep duration and behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in healthy 7-to 8-year-old children. Pediatrics123(5): e857–e864.
57.
PolotskyVYSmaldoneMCScharfMT. (2004) Impact of interrupted leptin pathways on ventilatory control. Journal of Applied Physiology96(3): 991–998.
58.
PostonWSEricssonMLinderJ. (1998) D4 dopamine receptor gene exon III polymorphism and obesity risk. Eating and Weight Disorders: EWD3(2): 71–77.
59.
RandazzoACMuehlbachMJSchweitzerPK. (1998) Cognitive function following acute sleep restriction in children ages 10–14. Sleep21(8): 861–868.
60.
RedlineSTishlerPVSchluchterM. (1999) Risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in children associations with obesity, race, and respiratory problems. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine159(5): 1527–1532.
61.
RosenCLStorfer-IsserATaylorHG. (2004) Increased behavioral morbidity in school-aged children with sleep-disordered breathing. Pediatrics114(6): 1640–1648.
62.
RudnickEFMitchellRB (2007) Behavior and obstructive sleep apnea in children: Is obesity a factor?The Laryngoscope117(8): 1463–1466.
63.
SadehAGruberRRavivA (2002) Sleep, neurobehavioral functioning, and behavior problems in school-age children. Child Development73(2): 405–417.
64.
SadehAGruberRRavivA (2003) The effects of sleep restriction and extension on school-age children: What a difference an hour makes. Child Development74(2): 444–455.
65.
SchwartzMWWoodsSCPorteD. (2000) Central nervous system control of food intake. Nature404: 661–671.
66.
TaheriSLinLAustinD. (2004) Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Medicine1(3): e62.
67.
TankersleyCGO’DonnellCDaoodMJ. (1998) Leptin attenuates respiratory complications associated with the obese phenotype. Journal of Applied Physiology85(6): 2261–2269.
68.
TaumanRGozalD (2006) Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea in children. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews7(4): 247–259.
69.
TouchetteÉ.PetitDSéguinJR. (2007) Associations between sleep duration patterns and behavioral/cognitive functioning at school entry. Sleep30(9): 1213–1219.
70.
Van den BulckJ (2004) Television viewing, computer game playing, and Internet use and self-reported time to bed and time out of bed in secondary-school children. Sleep27(1): 101–104.
71.
VgontzasANLinHMPapaliagaM. (2008) Short sleep duration and obesity: The role of emotional stress and sleep disturbances. International Journal of Obesity32(5): 801–809.
72.
VlesJSHFeronFJMHendriksenJGM (2003) Dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD). Neuropediatrics34: 77–80.
73.
WaringMELapaneKL (2008) Overweight in children and adolescents in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Results from a national sample. Pediatrics122(1): e1–e6.
74.
WhiteDPLombardRMCadieuxRJ. (1985) Pharyngeal resistance in normal humans: Influence of gender, age, and obesity. Journal of Applied Physiology58(2): 365–371.
75.
WillcuttEGDoyleAENiggJT. (2005) Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry57(11): 1336–1346.
76.
WilliamsKChambersMLoganS. (1996) Association of common health symptoms with bullying in primary school children. British Medical Journal313(7048): 17–19.
77.
WingYHuiSPakW. (2003) A controlled study of sleep related disordered breathing in obese children. Archives of Disease in Childhood88(12): 1043–1047.
78.
YoungTPeppardPEGottliebDJ (2002) Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea a population health perspective. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine165(9): 1217–1239.
