Clinical Application of Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation in Children with ADHD: a Preliminary Study on Sleep and Behavioral Problems

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.