Poor sleep in kids may raise attention deficit disorder risk

Is your child having an irregular sleep pattern? If yes, then it is better to sort the pattern before the age of five, as not doing so may put him or her at a heightened risk of attention deficit disorders, says a new study.

Sleeping problems make it difficult for kids to adjust to school life and also increase their risk of emotional and behavioural issues at school, the study pointed out.

"If these sleep issues aren't resolved by the time children are five years old then they are at risk of poorer adjustment to school," said lead researcher Kate Williams, faculty at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

Parents need to withdraw some habits, like lying with children over and over, letting them into their bed, the researchers suggested.

The research, published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology, was one of the first to use a large sample size and examine the long-term impact of children's sleep on early school behaviour.

The team analysed the sleep behaviour of 2,880 children born in 2004 until they were six-seven years old.

The mothers reported on children's sleep problems, emotional and attention from birth to five years and teachers reported on children's social emotional adjustment to school.