Common sleep disorders include insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), sleep apnea (breathing interruptions during sleep), restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and parasomnias such as sleepwalking.1
Managing sleep problems in children starts with a set bedtime and bedtime routine and a comfortable sleep environment, with medicines considered only after these, and working closely with healthcare professionals.2,3
Sleep quality can often be improved through regular sleep schedules, a relaxing bedtime routine, reduced screen time before bed, a dark, cool, and quiet sleep environment, and regular physical activity.2
Poor sleep has been linked to depression, and depression and anxiety can in turn cause sleep problems, so each can feed the other.4,1
Untreated sleep disorders raise the risk of heart problems, and the sleep loss they cause harms learning and focus, lowers productivity, and raises the risk of accidents.4
What are the common types of sleep disorders?
Common types of sleep disorders include insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), sleep apnea (breathing interruptions during sleep), restless legs syndrome (an uncontrollable urge to move the legs), narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks), and parasomnias (unusual behaviors during sleep, such as sleepwalking).1
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, medications, and lifestyle choices. Irregular sleep schedules and caffeine or alcohol can also contribute to insomnia.1,5
How can sleep apnea be diagnosed?
Sleep apnea is typically diagnosed through a sleep study called polysomnography, which records brain activity, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and heart rate during sleep. In some cases your doctor may decide the test can be done at home with a portable device.6
What are the symptoms of restless legs syndrome?
Symptoms of restless legs syndrome include uncomfortable sensations in the legs described as crawling, tingling, or itching, a strong urge to move the legs, and symptoms that worsen when sitting or lying down. The discomfort usually diminishes with movement.7,1
How does narcolepsy affect daily life?
Narcolepsy can significantly affect daily life by causing excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden sleep attacks, sudden muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions (cataplexy), sleep paralysis, and hallucinations. These symptoms can disrupt routine activities, impacting work, school, and social engagements.8
What treatments are available for insomnia?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is usually the first treatment recommended for long-term insomnia. Other options include healthy sleep habits, relaxation techniques and new ways to manage stress, and prescription medicines, whose benefits and side effects are worth discussing with a doctor.9
How can sleep apnea be treated?
Treatment options for sleep apnea often include lifestyle changes (weight loss, avoiding alcohol), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliances designed to keep the airway open, and, in some cases, surgical interventions.10
What lifestyle changes can improve sleep quality?
Improving sleep quality can often be achieved through regular sleep schedules, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, reducing screen time before bed, keeping the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet, and engaging in regular physical activity.2
Can sleep disorders affect mental health?
Yes. Too little sleep has been linked to depression, and children who are short on sleep may have mood swings or feel sad, angry, or impulsive. It works the other way too: depression and anxiety are among the causes of sleep disorders, so poor sleep and poor mental health can feed each other.4,1
What role do hormones play in sleep?
Melatonin is the best known: the brain makes it in response to darkness, and it helps time the body’s 24-hour clock and sleep, which is why light at night can block it. Sleep also shapes other hormones. Deep sleep triggers the release of the hormone that drives growth in children and teens, and too little sleep raises the hormone that makes you feel hungry (ghrelin) and lowers the one that makes you feel full (leptin).3,4
How can sleep disorders be managed in children?
Managing sleep disorders in children starts with a set bedtime and a consistent bedtime routine, a comfortable sleep environment, and attention to anxiety or stressors. Guidelines recommend these behavioral steps first, with medicines added only if needed, so work closely with healthcare professionals to identify effective treatment strategies.2,3
When should someone seek help for a sleep disorder?
Seek help if you regularly take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep or wake up and cannot get back to sleep, if you often feel sleepy during the day, or if someone notices loud snoring, gasping, or pauses in breathing during sleep.1
Are there any risks associated with untreated sleep disorders?
Yes. Untreated sleep disorders raise the risk of heart problems, and the ongoing sleep loss they cause makes it harder to learn, focus, and react, makes people less productive at work and school, and raises the risk of accidents: driver sleepiness is a factor in an estimated 100,000 car crashes a year.4
What are some myths about sleep disorders?
One common myth is that insomnia is merely a result of poor habits; in fact age, family history, stress, and other health conditions all raise the risk. Another is that you can “catch up” on sleep on weekends, when sleeping in can actually disrupt the body clock. Many sleep disorders are medical conditions that need proper treatment.5,2
How does ADHD impact sleep quality in children?
Children with ADHD are more prone to sleep problems than other children. Common causes include insomnia at bedtime, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or restless legs, co-existing conditions such as anxiety, and ADHD medicines, so a doctor looking into poor sleep will consider each of these.3,11
What strategies can help children with ADHD improve their sleep?
Implementing a consistent bedtime routine, creating a calming sleep environment, and limiting exposure to screens before bed can help improve sleep in children with ADHD. Additionally, addressing any anxiety or stress and consulting with healthcare professionals for tailored sleep strategies are vital steps.12,11
Can sleep disorders worsen ADHD symptoms?
Yes. Children who are short on sleep may be overly active, have trouble paying attention, and feel angry or impulsive, which adds to the challenges of ADHD. In a trial of 244 children with ADHD, a brief program that improved their sleep also modestly reduced their ADHD symptoms.4,12
Are there medications that can assist with sleep issues in children with ADHD?
In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend medications to assist with sleep issues in children with ADHD, usually after bedtime routines and behavioral strategies have been tried. Melatonin has the most trial evidence, for helping children fall asleep sooner, but the right dose and long-term effects in children are uncertain, so it’s essential to discuss potential benefits and side effects with a qualified professional before starting any medication.11,3
How can caregivers support children with ADHD in developing healthy sleep habits?
Caregivers can support children with ADHD by maintaining a regular sleep schedule, encouraging relaxation techniques before bedtime, and being mindful of stimulating activities close to bedtime. Additionally, open communication about any sleep-related concerns can help foster healthy sleep habits.
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine). Sleep Disorders. Checked October 6, 2026.Show the passageHide the passage
General types include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, hypersomnia (“This includes narcolepsy”), circadian rhythm disorders and parasomnias such as sleepwalking; causes include depression and anxiety, pain, medicines, caffeine, alcohol and an irregular schedule; signs worth raising include regularly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, daytime sleepiness, and loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing.
Keep the same bedtime and wake time (“For children, have a set bedtime and a bedtime routine”), use the hour before bed for quiet time away from bright screens, keep the bedroom “quiet, cool, and dark”, be physically active; “sleeping in late on weekends can disrupt your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm.”
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Melatonin: What You Need To Know. Checked October 6, 2026.Show the passageHide the passage
Melatonin is “a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness” and light at night can block it; children with ADHD “are more prone to sleep problems than other children”; guidelines recommend behavioral treatments first, “that may be supplemented with medicines”; in children with ADHD melatonin shortened time to fall asleep by about 20 minutes, but dose and long-term effects are uncertain, so work with a health care provider.
Sleep deficiency “has also been linked to depression”; sleep-deficient children may be overly active, have trouble paying attention, and feel angry, impulsive or sad; untreated sleep disorders raise the risk of heart problems; sleep-deficient people are less productive, and driver sleepiness is a factor in about 100,000 crashes a year; deep sleep triggers growth hormone release in children, and short sleep raises ghrelin and lowers leptin.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Insomnia: Causes and Risk Factors. Stress, changing routines and sleep schedules, caffeine, alcohol, screens near bedtime, older age, family history and sex all raise the risk of insomnia. Checked October 6, 2026.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sleep Studies. Polysomnography records “brain waves and monitor[s] your heart rate, breathing, and the oxygen level in your blood”; your doctor decides whether the test is done at a sleep center or at home with a portable device. Checked October 6, 2026.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Restless Legs Syndrome. An “irresistible urge to move the legs” with sensations that “may feel like aching, throbbing, pulling, itching, crawling, or creeping”, brought on by rest and relieved by movement. Checked October 6, 2026.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Narcolepsy. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness that can come on as a “sleep attack”, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hallucinations; untreated, it can affect “school, work, and social life.” Checked October 6, 2026.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Insomnia: Treatment. CBT-I “is usually recommended as the first treatment option for long-term insomnia”; healthy sleep habits, ways to manage stress and relax, and prescription medicines, whose benefits and side effects should be discussed with a doctor. Checked October 6, 2026.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sleep Apnea: Treatment. Healthy lifestyle changes including a healthy weight and limiting alcohol; “A PAP machine is the most common treatment”; oral devices; and surgery, including tonsillectomy. Checked October 6, 2026.
Cortese S, Brown TE, Corkum P, et al. Assessment and management of sleep problems in youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2013;52(8):784–796. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.06.001 (PMID 23880489).Show the noteHide the note
Review of 139 studies: sleep problems in ADHD include insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs, and disturbances from co-existing psychiatric conditions or ADHD medicines; healthy sleep practices are the foundation, behavioral treatment comes first, and trials support melatonin for falling asleep, with more limited evidence for other medicines.
Hiscock H, Sciberras E, Mensah F, et al. Impact of a behavioural sleep intervention on symptoms and sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parental mental health: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2015;350:h68. doi:10.1136/bmj.h68 (PMID 25646809).Show the passageHide the passage
In 244 children aged 5 to 12 with ADHD, sleep hygiene and behavioral strategies improved sleep, behavior and daily functioning and “modestly improves the severity of ADHD symptoms”.
Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child.
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