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Poor sleep and altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical and sympatho-adrenal-medullary system activity in

Katri Räikkönen1, Karen A Matthews, Anu-Katriina Pesonen

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 20 D), 00014 Helsinki, Finland. katri.raikkonen@helsinki.fi

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|March 3, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Poor sleep in children is linked to altered neuroendocrine function. Shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency were associated with higher cortisol and alpha-amylase levels, suggesting a connection to health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Sleep science
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Neuroendocrine alterations are linked to health, but studies on sleep and neuroendocrine activity in children are limited.
  • Understanding these links is crucial for addressing health disparities associated with poor sleep.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between actigraphy-measured sleep patterns and neuroendocrine activity in children.
  • Specifically examining the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and sympatho-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 282 eight-year-old children in Helsinki, Finland.
  • Sleep patterns assessed using actigraphy.
  • Diurnal salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (SAM marker) measured.
  • Responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Children with shorter sleep duration (<7.7 hours) showed higher cortisol awakening response and nadir.
  • Lower sleep efficiency (<77.4%) correlated with higher diurnal cortisol, elevated cortisol post-stress (TSST-C), and increased alpha-amylase during TSST-C.
  • These associations remained significant after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions:

  • Poor sleep in children may indicate dysregulated neuroendocrine functioning.
  • Findings provide insights into the biological pathways connecting poor sleep with adverse health outcomes in pediatric populations.
Abstract

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