Associations Between Sleep and Metabolic Outcomes in Preadolescent Children
Jasmin Marie Alves1,2, Ting Chow3, Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez4
1Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033 CA, USA.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
|October 17, 2022
Summary
Adequate sleep duration in children is linked to better metabolic health, including improved insulin sensitivity and lower body fat. Sleep duration’s positive impact on insulin sensitivity is partly mediated by body fat levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric metabolic health
- Sleep science
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Growing evidence highlights sleep's crucial role in children's metabolic health.
- Childhood sleep disturbances are increasingly recognized as potential contributors to metabolic dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between objectively measured sleep parameters and metabolic health markers in children.
- To examine associations with insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, beta-cell function, and adiposity.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-two children (7-11 years) underwent 7-day wrist accelerometer monitoring for sleep assessment.
- Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and anthropometric measurements were conducted.
- Linear regression analyzed associations between sleep parameters (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, etc.) and metabolic outcomes (Matsuda ISI, IGI, DI, adiposity measures).
Main Results:
- Longer total sleep time (TST) was associated with better insulin sensitivity (Matsuda ISI) and lower body fat percentage and waist-to-height ratio.
- Body fat percentage partially mediated the relationship between TST and insulin sensitivity.
- No significant associations were found between sleep parameters and insulin secretion or beta-cell function (IGI, DI).
Conclusions:
- Objectively measured sleep duration is linked to reduced adiposity in preadolescent children.
- The association between sleep duration and insulin sensitivity is partly explained by adiposity levels.
- Promoting adequate sleep duration may be important for maintaining children's metabolic health.
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