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Temporal and bi-directional associations between sleep duration and physical activity/sedentary time in children: An

Yingyi Lin1, Mark S Tremblay2, Peter T Katzmarzyk3

  • 1Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.

Preventive Medicine
|December 11, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Nighttime sleep duration influences children's next-day physical activity and sedentary time, and daytime activity impacts sleep duration. These bidirectional relationships vary by sex and location, though effects are subtle.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Sleep Science
  • Physical Activity Research

Background:

  • Understanding the interplay between sleep and physical behaviors in children is crucial for public health.
  • Previous research suggests potential links, but bidirectional relationships and international variations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the bidirectional associations between nighttime sleep duration and daytime physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (SED) in children.
  • To investigate if these associations are modified by sex and geographical study sites.

Main Methods:

  • A multinational, cross-sectional study involving 5779 children aged 9-11 years.
  • Objective measurement of 24-hour movement behaviors (sleep duration, SED, LPA, MVPA) using accelerometers over 7 days.
  • Multilevel linear regression models were employed to analyze repeated measures and account for nesting within participants and schools, with adjustments for covariates.

Main Results:

  • A bidirectional relationship was confirmed between sleep duration and PA/SED in children.
  • Increased sleep duration was associated with decreased SED and increased light-intensity physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) the following day.
  • Increased SED and MVPA were associated with decreased sleep duration, while LPA showed no significant effect on sleep.

Conclusions:

  • The findings highlight a reciprocal relationship between sleep and physical behaviors in international child populations.
  • Observed effect sizes are small, suggesting the need for careful consideration of clinical and practical relevance for public health initiatives.
  • Variations in these associations across sexes and study sites indicate the influence of demographic and environmental factors.

Keywords:
24-Hour movementsChild healthMultilevel modellingPopulation healthWithin-subject effects

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