Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder in children and adolescents: Comorbidity with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) are neurologic conditions that are increasingly being recognized as common, significant sleep disorders in adults. Recent work has documented the occurrence of RLS and PLMD in children and adolescents. The full symptomatology of RLS and PLMD in childhood remains to be defined; however, preliminary observations have supported an association with attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this article, we review the evidence fur RLS and PLMD in children and adolescents, present three representative case histories, and propose a theoretic framework to help guide further work in this area.