Nursing Intervention for Mothers regarding Sleeping Problems among their Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

Background: Sleeping problems represented highly common phenomena that interfere with
daily child and family functioning in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
(ADHD). Aim: To evaluate the effect of nursing intervention for mothers regarding sleeping
problems among their children with ADHD. Method: a quasi-experimental design was utilized.
A purposive sample of 60 mothers and their children suffering from ADHD were involved in the
study. The study was conducted at, the Pediatric Psychiatric outpatient clinic in the Preventive
Medicine Hospital which affiliated to Cairo University Hospitals. The following tools were
utilized for data collection (pre, post, and follow-up). Tool 1) Interviewing questionnaire that
included demographic data, mothers' knowledge regarding ADHD and sleeping problems among
their children with ADHD. Tool 2) Mothers' reported practices related to sleeping problems
among their children with ADHD. Tool 3) Children's Sleep Habits scale was adopted from
Owens, Spirito and McGuinn (2000) to assess children's sleeping problems. Results: Less
than three-quarters of school age children with ADHD were males and more than half of them
had no family history of ADHD. A highly statistically significant difference was found between
pre, post and follow up after 6 months of nursing intervention regarding the total mean scores of
mothers' knowledge, reported practices and their children's sleeping problems. Conclusion: The
study concluded that, the nursing intervention had highly statistically significant effect on
improving mothers' knowledge and reported practices regarding the care of sleeping problems in
their children with ADHD and minimizing sleeping problems among their children.
Recommendation: The study recommended that, continuous guidance and support should be
provided to mothers regarding the care of sleeping problems among their children with ADHD.