Objective: High incidence of sleep problems in children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been described. Mindfulness meditation has emerged as a novel approach to sleep disturbances and insomnia remediation. This preliminary study tested the efficacy of Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation (MOM) training on sleep quality and behavioral problems in children with ADHD.
Design: Twenty-five children with ADHD aged 7-11 years underwent two programs three times per week for eight-weeks: the MOM training (15 children) and an Active Control Condition (10 children).
Main outcome measures: Objective and subjective measures of sleep quality and behavioral measures were collected before and after the programs.
Results: Positive effects on sleep and behavioral measures were found only in the MOM group.
Conclusion: Although they are preliminary, our results indicate that MOM training is a promising tool for ameliorating sleep quality and behavioral manifestations in ADHD.
Keywords: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; actigraphy; mindfulness based interventions; neurodevelopmental disorders; sleep problems.