A new review explains why people with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs), chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and ADHD often suffer from sleep disturbances, and how these issues might be better managed in the future. The study, highlighted by neuroscience outlets and summarized in academic journals, points to disruptions in a brain network called the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit as the underlying mechanism for both psychiatric symptoms and insomnia, delayed sleep onset, and related sleep problems.
For many Thai families, neurodevelopmental conditions such as OCD, Tourette’s syndrome, and ADHD come with persistent sleep challenges. These sleep issues affect the child or adult, as well as parents and siblings, impacting mood, concentration, and daily functioning. Thailand has advanced public awareness and support for these conditions, yet sleep health remains a neglected area of care. The new findings offer practical implications for Thai clinicians, students, educators, and families navigating overlapping neurodevelopmental and sleep disorders.
The CSTC circuit regulates impulse control, movement, and habit formation. In OCSDs, CTDs, and ADHD—collectively CSTC-conditions—the network’s balance is disrupted, in part due to imbalances in dopamine and GABA neurotransmitters. The research team reviewed numerous studies and found that sleep problems and CSTC-conditions influence each other in a bidirectional way: poor sleep can worsen psychiatric symptoms, and these symptoms can further disrupt sleep.
Children and adults with these diagnoses commonly report insomnia, restless legs, and movement during sleep. Objective studies, while limited, show delayed sleep onset and disturbances in sleep spindles—brainwave patterns important for memory and brain repair. Night-time movements, including periodic limb movements or tics, are more common in adults with tic disorders or OCD. In Thai schools, these sleep-related symptoms may present as daytime sleepiness, reduced concentration, and irritability, which can be mistaken for laziness or misbehavior.
A senior psychiatrist at a leading Thai medical faculty notes that for many students with ADHD or Tourette’s, sleep is a constant struggle alongside attention and movement challenges. He says these findings suggest a shared biological basis rather than just lifestyle factors or parental discipline issues.
The review also highlights treatment challenges, especially for children. Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help with OCD and related conditions but may alter sleep by delaying or reducing REM sleep, a critical phase for emotional processing and learning. Thai clinicians are encouraged to balance symptom relief with the risk of long-term sleep disruption. Individualized medication planning, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, and school-based accommodations to address daytime sleepiness are important options.
Clinicians are urged to pursue three parallel strategies: treat the core CSTC disorder, address sleep problems directly, or pursue both together. Thai guidelines for ADHD, OCD, and tic disorders increasingly favor a multidisciplinary, individualized care approach, a trend supported by the new evidence. Collaboration with educators to adjust school schedules or provide nap periods for students with severe sleep disruption is gaining traction in progressive Bangkok and Chiang Mai schools.
Thailand’s health policy has historically focused on awareness and destigmatization of neurodevelopmental conditions, including national campaigns and updated diagnostic guidelines from the Ministry of Public Health. The new research calls for routine sleep quality assessments in child psychiatric clinics, as untreated sleep disturbances can lead to changes in the fronto-striatal circuitry and potentially worsen long-term outcomes if not addressed early.
Cultural factors also shape Thailand’s response. Traditional views sometimes attribute neurodevelopmental symptoms to spiritual or behavioral causes, delaying medical care. Yet recent years have brought greater acceptance of psychiatric explanations and scientific interventions. Buddhist mental health advocates have helped reduce stigma and promote mind–body approaches, including mindfulness and sleep hygiene, alongside biomedical strategies.
Looking ahead, researchers and Thai clinicians emphasize the need for more polysomnographic and neuroimaging studies among Thai children and adults. Local researchers are encouraged to explore how CSTC-dysfunction-driven sleep problems interact with Thai social dynamics, dietary patterns, and environmental factors—such as screen time before bed, academic pressure, and the prevalence of shared sleeping arrangements in smaller homes or rural settings. Emerging treatments, including digital sleep interventions and culturally tailored cognitive-behavioral therapies, offer hope for the future.
For readers and caregivers, the practical takeaway is clear: sleep problems are intertwined with CSTC-conditions and significantly affect daily life. Thai parents and educators should monitor sleep closely in children with these diagnoses, seek professional guidance for persistent issues, and collaborate with healthcare providers to develop individualized solutions. Emphasizing sleep hygiene, careful medication management, and flexible school expectations can help Thai youth with CSTC-conditions thrive both day and night.
For further context, the original study summary is available through independent science coverage, while supporting discussions of comorbidity and treatment challenges appear in science-focused outlets. Data and insights from Thai clinicians and researchers reinforce the global findings with local relevance.