ADHD -- New Title to an Old Problem?

Why is it that only within the past two centuries that young active little boys have now been considered to have a problem? What happened to the times when 'boys will be boys'? I don't understand that now, out of the entire history of human evolution, have active boys now suddenly have an affliction called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Maybe it's a new cancer spreading out through the youth of America. Perhaps it's a made-up illness used to sedate the children of parents who need some quiet time after they realized kids are a lot of work. Whatever it is, I would bet anything that this 'ADHD' is nothing new, and parents have dealt with rambunctious kids for centuries, but only now has medicine progressed enough that we can silence the children if we choose to. I submit that these advancements in science need to be considered long and hard by ethics committees all over the world. Even more so, it's too early to tell if the new found drugs they are giving these children have any long term effects (40, 50, 60 years from now). I'm not trying to say that ALL kids diagnosed with ADHD should live without this medication, I'm simply saying that many kids that are normal and simply have active outbursts from time to time are being treated hastily with medication they don't need!

Napping 4-year Olds less Anxious

June 9 (UPI) -- Young children between ages 4-5, who did not nap were found to be more hyperactive and anxious than children who napped.

The study, presented at Sleep (the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle) found children who did not take daytime naps had higher levels of: hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression than other children.

The researchers suggest napping may have a significant influence on young children's daytime functioning and should be encouraged.

"There is a lot of individual variability in when children are ready to give up naps," lead study author Brian Crosby of Pennsylvania State University in said in a statement.

"I would encourage parents to include a quiet 'rest' time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary."

For the study, caregivers for 62 children reported typical weekday and weekend bedtime/rise time, napping patterns, family demographics, and completed a behavioral assessment of the child. It's possible that there could be some minor consequences to children who aren't given the same amount of rest as normal children their same age. It's too early to tell if sleep deprivation at this age could lead to conditions like A.D.D. and A.D.H.D, but it is known that sleep at this age should be a very important part of their daily routine.