• Asian Scientist
  • Posts
  • Why kids with ADHD struggle to sleep—and the role melatonin plays 🧬

Why kids with ADHD struggle to sleep—and the role melatonin plays 🧬

Researchers uncover a genetic link between ADHD and reduced melatonin, a hormone signaling the body to sleep.

March 06, 2025

Feature of the week

What genetics research reveals about ADHD and sleep struggles

Did you know that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sleep difficulties might be linked at the genetic level? 🧬

👉️ A new study from Hamamatsu University, Japan, conducted with international collaborators, suggests that genetic traits that lower nighttime melatonin release are associated with more severe ADHD symptoms.

👉️ By analyzing the sleep behavior, ADHD symptoms, and genetic profiles of children aged 8–9, the researchers observed that those genetically predisposed to reduced melatonin production experienced more pronounced ADHD symptoms, particularly difficulties with inattention.

While melatonin doesn’t induce sleep, it plays a crucial role in preparing the body for rest. Understanding this connection could open new possibilities for managing ADHD symptoms through better sleep strategies.

Editorial highlights

PRINT

Asia is going through a sleep crisis, worse than anywhere else in the world, leading to a growth in the market of sleep wearables. But how much do they help?

HEALTH

Voltage changes in the cell membrane activates a protein essential for guiding sperm development.

TECHNOLOGY

This research aims to enhance robots’ ability to understand and respond to human instructions in real-world situations.

Meet the Asian Scientist 100 Community

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong 🇭🇰 | Biomedical Sciences

Wang is a recipient of the 2023 Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award for her research investigating mechanisms in the mitochondria that regulate protein translation.

University of Tsukuba | Japan 🇯🇵 | Biomedical Sciences

Yanagisawa was awarded the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for discovering that narcolepsy is caused by an individual losing a small population of brain-cells that produce a wake-promoting substance.