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Sleep quantity and its relation with physical activity in children with cerebral palsy; insights using actigraphy
Denise J M Smit1, Maremka Zwinkels1, Tim Takken2
1UMC Utrecht Hersencentrum, Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) meet recommended sleep durations. However, increased sedentary behavior is linked to reduced sleep quantity, particularly in those with better motor function.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) often face challenges with sleep and physical activity.
- Understanding the interplay between sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior is crucial for managing CP.
- Objective measures are needed to accurately assess these factors in the CP population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively evaluate sleep quantity in children and adolescents with CP.
- To investigate the associations between sleep quantity, physical activity, and sedentary behavior.
- To explore how these relationships differ based on motor function levels.
Main Methods:
- An observational, cross-sectional study involving 36 children with spastic CP (mean age 15y 4mo).
- Participants were classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-IV.
- Sleep quantity, active time, and sedentary time were measured over 7 days using activity monitors.
Main Results:
- Total sleep duration ranged from 7.2 to 11.2 hours, meeting recommended guidelines.
- No significant correlation was observed between active time and sleep quantity.
- Moderate negative correlations were found between sedentary time and sleep quantity (r = -0.45 to -0.48, P < 0.006).
Conclusions:
- Children with CP generally achieve recommended sleep durations.
- Sedentary behavior is negatively correlated with sleep quantity in this population.
- This association may be more pronounced in individuals with higher motor function; further research with advanced sleep measures is recommended.
Aim:
To objectively assess the sleep quantity, and explore the relationships between sleep quantity and quality, and physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).
Methods:
An observational cross-sectional study was conducted. In total, 36 children with spastic CP (mean age 15y 4mo, SD 2y 6mo; classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I (25), II (9), III (1) and IV (1)) were included. Active time, sedentary time and sleep quantity were measured using an activity monitor for 7 consecutive days.
Results:
Total sleep duration of children with CP ranged between 7.2 and 11.2 h. No significant correlations were found between active time and sleep quantity for total week, weekdays, and weekend days. Moderate negative correlations were found between sedentary time and sleep quantity during total week (r = -0.456, P = 0.005), weekdays (r = -0.453, P = 0.006) and weekend days (r = -0.48, P = 0.003).
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that children with CP are getting the recommended sleep duration, and that sedentary behaviour is correlated with sleep quantity in children with CP and may be more applicable to children with better motor functions. Future studies using more elaborate, objective sleep quantity and quality measures are recommended.
