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Rapid eye movement sleep in relation to overweight in children and adolescents

Xianchen Liu1, Erika E Forbes, Neal D Ryan

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. xcliu@pitt.edu

Archives of General Psychiatry
|August 6, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Short sleep duration is linked to childhood overweight. Reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep significantly increases overweight risk in children and adolescents.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Adolescent Health

Background:

  • Short sleep duration is a known risk factor for obesity.
  • Limited research has explored the connection between specific sleep stages and childhood overweight.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific sleep stages (REM and non-REM sleep) and overweight in children and adolescents.
  • To quantify the impact of reduced sleep duration and altered sleep architecture on weight status.
  • To identify potential sleep-related targets for obesity prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Polysomnography was conducted on 335 children and adolescents (aged 7-17 years) over three consecutive nights.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) z scores and weight status were assessed.
  • Statistical analyses examined relationships between sleep parameters and weight status, controlling for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

  • Overweight children exhibited significantly shorter total sleep time, lower sleep efficiency, and reduced REM sleep compared to normal-weight peers.
  • A 1-hour reduction in total sleep was associated with a nearly 2-fold increased odds of overweight.
  • Decreased REM sleep duration and density were strongly linked to increased odds of overweight, independent of other factors.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms the association between short sleep duration and overweight in pediatric populations.
  • Reduced REM sleep emerges as a key factor contributing to the link between insufficient sleep and overweight.
  • Further research into the neuroendocrine and metabolic pathways influenced by REM sleep is warranted to elucidate obesity mechanisms.
Abstract

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