Body temperature, activity, and melatonin patterns in adults with ADHD and delayed sleep

Daily bedtimes were more variable within patients compared to controls (F = 8.19, P < 0.001).

• Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep phase syndrome showed a dim-light melatonin onset about 1.5 hours later than controls (U = 771, Z = -4.63, P < 0.001).
• Patients slept approximately 1 hour less on nights before work days compared to matched healthy controls (F = 11.21, P = 0.002).
• The interval between dim-light melatonin onset and sleep onset was on average 1 hour longer in patients than in controls (U = 1117, Z = -2.62, P = 0.009).
• Melatonin, activity, and body temperatures were delayed to similar extents in patients, with overall temperatures being lower than those of controls.
• Sleep-onset difficulties in patients correlated with a greater distal-proximal temperature gradient, indicating colder hands (r(2) = -0.32, P = 0.028).
• Day-to-day bedtime variability in patients was not reflected in their melatonin profiles.

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