Impact of Auriculotherapy on Sleep Quality in Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The present study aimed to explore the impact of auriculotherapy on sleep quality in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), given the significance of sleep disorders in this population and the requirement for effective treatments.

The clinical trial involved 52 children with ADHD, who were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a sham group. The intervention group received ear acupressure using Vacaria seeds on specific points for four weeks, while the sham group received adhesive patches without seeds or pressure. Sleep quality was evaluated using the children’s sleep habits questionnaire at three points: before the intervention, after it, and one month later. Data from 45 children were evaluated using various statistical methods.

The findings revealed:

• Both groups were comparable in background variables. 
• The analysis showed a significant interaction between effect of time and intervention regarding sleep quality, with the intervention group reporting significantly better sleep quality scores than the sham group at both follow-up assessments. 
• The intervention group demonstrated notable improvement across all three assessment points, whereas the sham group experienced a significant increase in sleep quality over time.

Thus, the findings concluded that auriculotherapy may serve as an effective complementary treatment to enhance sleep quality in children with ADHD.

Source:Mohammadi L, Tagharrobi Z, Sharifi K, Sooki Z, Zare M, ZareJoshaghani F. The Effect of auriculotherapy on sleep quality in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Pediatr. 2025 Jan 20;25(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s12887-024-05371-0. PMID: 39833716; PMCID: PMC11744890.