ADHD or Anxiety | ADHD Information

I have heard of that term before.  Enurisis.  What would a sleep study do?  How does this relate to ADHD? 

Amy - A sleep study will show the sleep patterns in a person.  How deep they're sleeping, how much REM they have, any snoring or sleep apnea problems, etc.  I had one done a few years ago and unfortunately, because of my insomnia, it didn't reveal much.  They can be expensive but sometimes insurance will cover it if it's out of medical necessity (doctor prescribes it)  Many people with ADHD have all sorts of sleep issues, primarily insomnia.  it could be that because of the insomnia, when we do actually sleep, it can be a deeper sleep than others because of sleep deprivation.  However, my own personal experience is my insomnia doesn't allow for deeper sleep.  But, the medication has helped with my insomnia even though I'm a bit more tired during the day.  The sleep study would let you know how deep your son is sleeping and if he is sleeping deeply because of the hyperactivity during the day, it might shed some light on the situation.

I think what happens with the enurisis is that the body is in such a deep sleep that the messages normally sent to the brain to wake up and use the bathroom are interrupted or not sent in some way and hence, the person doesn't wake up - wets the bed instead. 

I am not a doctor but if you talk to your son's pediatrician, they may affirm at least some of what I am saying.  good luck.  please keep me posted. 

I have almost 10 year old boy.  He was diganosed at 5 with ADHD/ODD.  Since then he has been on numerous medications with some help, but never long term.  We recently started seeing a therapist to see if we could help him in some other areas.  The therapist thinks he is not ADHD/ODD that all this stems from anxiety.  Like I said he's almost 10 years old and not potty trained thru the night and still has accidents during the day. The therapist thinks it b/c of anxiety.  Has anyone had this issue before?  If so, what can I do to help him get over this fear?

Amy - I wet the bed until I hit puberty at age 14.  I was diagnosed with hyperactivity when I was a kid and I did take medication for three years but I still wet the bed.  My son also wet the bed till he was 8 and he was non-ADHD. The term for this behavior is Enurisis (not sure of the spelling) and it has more to do with deep sleep patterns and bladder size.  Sure there can be a possible emotional element but I would suggest getting a thorough physical checkup with your doctor (maybe a sleep study) before you go running to the therapist thinking it's anxiety.