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Associations between sleep duration, adiposity indicators, and cognitive development in young children

Zhiguang Zhang1, Kristi B Adamo2, Nancy Ogden3

  • 1Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Sleep Medicine
|April 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Shorter nighttime sleep in young children is linked to higher BMI z-scores and increased risk of being overweight. Promoting longer sleep, over nine hours, supports healthy adiposity in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Child Development
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern, with adiposity indicators often established in early life.
  • Sleep patterns in early childhood are complex and their impact on physical and cognitive development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between sleep duration (total, nap, and nighttime) and indicators of adiposity in young children.
  • To examine the association between sleep duration and cognitive development, specifically expressive vocabulary and working memory, in preschoolers.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 217 Canadian children aged 19-60 months (HATCH study) had sleep duration assessed via parent questionnaire.
  • Adiposity was measured using Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores and weight status based on WHO growth standards.
  • Cognitive functions (expressive vocabulary, working memory) were evaluated in preschoolers (36-60 months) using the Early Years Toolbox, with statistical analyses employing mixed models.

Main Results:

  • A negative linear association was found between total sleep duration and BMI z-score.
  • Children with shorter nighttime sleep (<9.13-11.13 h/d) exhibited higher BMI z-scores and increased odds of being overweight.
  • No significant associations were observed between sleep duration and expressive vocabulary; however, non-nappers showed greater working memory capacity compared to nappers.

Conclusions:

  • Ensuring adequate total sleep, particularly exceeding nine hours of nighttime sleep, is crucial for maintaining healthy adiposity in young children.
  • Discontinuing napping may correlate with enhanced working memory performance in preschool-aged children.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cognitive functioningEarly childhoodExecutive functionsObesitySleep quantity

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