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Temporal associations between daytime physical activity and sleep in children
Anu-Katriina Pesonen1, Noora M Sjöstén, Karen A Matthews
1Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Anukatriina.pesonen@helsinki.fi
Plos One
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Higher physical activity (PA) in children is linked to poorer sleep, and less sleep leads to less PA. This bidirectional relationship challenges previous findings and highlights the need for more research on objective PA and sleep measures in kids.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies often suggest a positive correlation between physical activity (PA) and sleep quality.
- However, objective measurements of both PA and sleep in children are less common, necessitating further investigation.
- Understanding the temporal dynamics between PA and sleep is crucial for child health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal associations between objectively measured daytime and evening physical activity (PA) and subsequent sleep quantity and quality in children.
- To explore the bidirectional relationship between PA and sleep patterns within individuals.
Main Methods:
- An epidemiological cohort study involving 275 eight-year-old children.
- Objective measurement of physical activity and sleep using actigraphy for an average of one week per child.
- Statistical analysis to examine temporal associations and within-person effects.
Main Results:
- Increased daytime PA was associated with decreased sleep duration, reduced sleep efficiency, and increased sleep fragmentation.
- Adequate sleep duration and efficiency were linked to decreased PA the following day.
- Moderate to vigorous PA in the evening was found to shorten sleep onset latency.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between physical activity and sleep in children is bidirectional, with higher PA associated with poorer sleep and vice versa.
- These within-person findings contrast with some population-level epidemiological studies.
- Further research using objective measures is required to validate these findings in pediatric populations.
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