Sleep Study to Rule Out ADHD?

[LittleRockstar]

My 6yo DD is scheduled for a sleep study this Thursday. She has SPD and possible ADHD. She has never slept through the night. Rather than being tired and low energy, she's hyper and busy all the time. She's had lots of testing, but they're trying to figure out if she's having sleep problems due to ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms due to lack of sleep. She doesn't seem to have apnea and her tonsils are fine. (I know apnea is still a possibility, but it seems unlikely.)

Has anyone had a sleep study done for this reason? I would love to have some answers, but I have a bad feeling about this. The sleep-study doctor told me I should have Ferberized her as a baby. (Implying that her sleep problems are my fault. She was awake all the time even as a newborn, before even Ferber suggests beginning to "sleep-train" them.) He then suggested that I implement punishments for her night-waking. Like I said, I have a bad feeling about this, but I really want answers.

Thought? Ideas? Opinions? Has anyone done a sleep study for this reason?

[buttercup784ever]

I did a sleep study on my son prior to him getting the ADHD diagnosis. I am a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist, so that's what I do for a living. I actually brought the equipment home and performed the study myself.

As far as pathology goes, the sleep doctors I know are very knowledgeable and really care about their patients. That being said, when it comes to behavioral problems the opinions you get will be all over the place. I've never had a doctor advocate crying it out, but I can imagine there are some out there that would.

I wouldn't feel bad about having the sleep study done if I were you. They can't make you punish your child! I would see if your insurance will cover a pediatric lab, and I would ask before hand that they NOT use restraints. For some labs the use of restraints is standard protocol on children. Blech.

At a conference I recently attended there was a class on sleep behavior and children with autism. Some of the ideas would really work with any child though. One of them was a bedtime pass that you give your child. If she gets out of bed during the night she has to give you the pass. If she stays in bed all night and has the pass in the morning, she gets a reward. They mentioned a "sleep tool kit" at the Autism Treatment Network website, but I haven't checked it out yet. This was at the AASM national conference that the sleep docs attend. I didn't hear anyone advocating punishment.

[NightOwlwithowlet]

The doctor sounds like a poor fit your family. I'm respiratory therapist that use to do sleep studies, I ave to agree with everything buttercup784ever said.

DS has ADHD and on of the things that has helped is making sure he gets a decent night sleep. It was very hard to do. He had a sleep study done, he had sleep apnea and he had have his tonsils and adenoids out. While his ADHD didn't go away, it did help alleviate the symptoms.

[LittleRockstar]

Thank you for your replies. This is not a pediatric facility and they don't take kids younger than six. It is the only place in town that does this. I'm definitely going to have a sleep study done, but I don't think this is the place for us. Of course, every time I think I've made a decision, I begin to doubt it. Argh.