Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
Early Childhood Diet in Relation to Toddler Nighttime Sleep Duration Trajectories
Erica C Jansen1, Wentong Zhao2, Andrew D Jones3
1Departments of Nutritional Sciences & Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Insights
Early childhood diet impacts sleep duration. Consistent meals and higher fruit/vegetable intake at age 2 were linked to longer sleep trajectories by age 5 in Appalachian children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Sleep Science
- Child Development
Background:
- Childhood sleep duration is crucial for development.
- Dietary habits are established early and can influence health outcomes.
- Understanding the link between diet and sleep in early childhood is important for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dietary habits at age 2 and sleep duration trajectories up to age 5.
- To identify distinct sleep duration patterns in young children.
- To explore how specific food and mealtime patterns relate to these sleep trajectories.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 559 children from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) cohort 2.
- Data collected via caregiver phone interviews between ages 2 and 5.
- Group-based trajectory modeling used to identify sleep duration patterns; multinomial logistic models analyzed dietary associations.
Main Results:
- Three sleep duration trajectories identified: short (4.5%), steady 9h (37.3%), and longer (58.2%).
- Consistent meal patterns and higher fruit/vegetable consumption at age 2 predicted a longer sleep trajectory compared to a steady 9h trajectory.
- Higher milk consumption at age 2 was associated with a lower likelihood of following the longer sleep trajectory versus the steady 9h trajectory.
Conclusions:
- Early dietary patterns, including meal consistency and consumption of fruits and vegetables, are associated with long-term sleep duration in children.
- Findings suggest that promoting healthy eating habits in toddlers may support healthy sleep development.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether dietary habits at age 2 associate with sleep duration trajectories through age 5 in children from north and central Appalachia. A total of 559 children from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) cohort 2 were followed via caregiver phone interviews up to six times between ages 2 and 5. Exposures included data from the year 2 interview: sleep habits, household and demographic characteristics, meal patterns and consumption frequencies of fruits, vegetables, water, juice, milk, and soda. Sleep duration trajectories were identified using group-based trajectory models from ages 2 to 5. Three distinct nightly sleep duration trajectories were identified: short, increasing duration (4.5% of the study population); steady, 9 h of sleep (37.3%); and longer, slightly decreasing sleep duration (58.2%). Using multinomial logistic models that accounted for confounders, children with consistent meal patterns (i.e., meals and snacks at same time every day) and with higher fruit and vegetable consumption were more likely to follow the longer duration sleep trajectory compared to the steady sleep trajectory. In contrast, children who drank milk more frequently at age 2 were less likely to be in the longer duration sleep trajectory than the steady sleep trajectory.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Nightmares and Night Terrors
Nightmares...
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
01:22Stages of Sleep
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
01:15REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...