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The association between children's sleep disruption and salivary interleukin-6
Mona El-Sheikh1, Joseph A Buckhalt, Douglas A Granger
1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. elshemm@auburn.edu
Insights
Children's sleep quality impacts interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Poor sleep and eveningness in children correlate with higher IL-6, suggesting a link between sleep disruptions and immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Sleep Science
- Immunology
Background:
- Salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a biomarker for inflammation and stress.
- Children's sleep patterns can be objectively measured using actigraphy.
- Individual differences in sleep, such as eveningness predisposition, may influence physiological responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sleep characteristics and salivary IL-6 levels in healthy children.
- To explore associations between sleep quality, sleep duration, and IL-6 reactivity.
- To examine the link between sleep disorders and IL-6 in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Objective sleep assessment using actigraphy over one week in children aged 8-9 years.
- Saliva samples collected pre- and post-cognitive/social tasks for IL-6 analysis.
- Subjective ratings of sleepiness and chronotype (Morningness/Eveningness), and parental reports of Sleep Disordered Breathing.
Main Results:
- Higher salivary IL-6 levels were associated with increased eveningness predisposition and parental reports of Sleep Disordered Breathing.
- Lower subjective sleepiness, longer sleep duration, and better sleep quality predicted greater IL-6 reactivity.
- These findings suggest a connection between sleep disruptions and IL-6 levels in children.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disruptions in healthy children are associated with variations in salivary IL-6 levels.
- Sleep quality and duration may influence immune system markers like IL-6.
- This study provides novel insights into the interplay between sleep and immune function in developing children.
Abstract:
We explored relations between children's sleep and levels of salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6). Children were healthy boys (n = 28) and girls (n = 36) who ranged in age between 8 and 9 years. Through actigraphy, the amount and quality of children's sleep was examined objectively in their homes for 1 week. Children also rated their Morningness/Eveningness predisposition and subjective sleepiness, and parents reported on their children's Sleep Disordered Breathing and Sleepiness. Children provided saliva samples before and after a series of cognitive/social tasks (an intelligence test, listening to a marital argument, and performing a star-tracing task), which were later assayed for IL-6. Children with higher salivary IL-6 levels reported increased Eveningness predispositions and their parents reported higher levels of Sleep Disordered Breathing. Furthermore, lower levels of sleepiness, longer sleep amount, and better quality sleep in children were each predictive of increased IL-6 reactivity from pre- to post-task conditions. The findings illustrate (for the first time to our knowledge) that sleep disruptions in otherwise healthy and normally developing children may be associated with individual differences in levels of IL-6 in saliva.
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