| dc.description.abstract | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders for children and adolescents. Along with core symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness, emotional dysregulation and altered sleep are prominent features. However, limited knowledge exists of how emotional dysregulation and low sleep quality relates to each other in ADHD. For instance, is sleep quality important for the ability to regulate emotions in ADHD, and/or vice versa? This question was the aim of the current systematic review. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. A systematic literature search was carried out in Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and Web of Science; at the end of the selection process, a total of 15 studies were included. All studies included assessed emotional regulation and/or emotional problem symptoms and sleep in children and adolescents aged 5 - 18 years, diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-5 or other relevant measures of attention/hyperactivity symptoms. Data extraction was synthesised using a modified PICO Table. Correlational studies indicated a bidirectional relationship between sleep and emotional dysregulation, and experimental studies linked sleep interventions to improvements in emotional outcomes. Furthermore, studies suggested that sleep efficiency was a key factor in understanding and addressing emotional and behavioural outcomes in this population. A limited number of studies, coupled with diverse study designs, made it challenging to establish conclusive findings. Nonetheless, improving sleep quality may be an important, yet currently unaddressed, treatment target for emotional dysregulation in this population. | |
