Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice
05:15

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice

Published on: January 10, 2025

Bedtime Inconsistency, Sugary Drink Consumption, and Anxiety Among a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S.

Adam P Knowlden1, Sarah M Flora1, Ashley L Merianos2

  • 1Department Of Health Science, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

Childhood Obesity (Print)
|August 20, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Consistent bedtime routines are linked to better child mental health, while sugary drink consumption is more strongly associated with physical health outcomes like obesity. Addressing both may improve overall child well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Bedtime consistency is a key family routine impacting children's sleep and emotional well-being.
  • Irregular bedtimes may correlate with unhealthy dietary behaviors, such as sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, a risk factor for child anxiety and obesity.
  • Limited population-level data exist on these combined behaviors and their impact on child mental and physical health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the associations between bedtime inconsistency, sugary drink consumption, and child anxiety and overweight or obesity.
  • To investigate the independent and combined effects of sleep routines and dietary habits on child health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the 2024 National Survey of Children's Health (ages 3-17).
  • Employed design-based logistic regression to analyze associations between bedtime inconsistency, sugary drink intake, anxiety, and overweight/obesity.
  • Adjusted for complex survey design, demographics, and socioeconomic/behavioral factors in sensitivity analyses.

Main Results:

  • Children with inconsistent bedtimes showed higher odds of frequent and moderate sugary drink consumption.
  • Frequent sugary drink consumption was linked to increased odds of anxiety.
  • Bedtime inconsistency remained significantly associated with anxiety across adjusted models.
  • Sugary drink consumption was robustly associated with overweight or obesity, while bedtime inconsistency's link to it was attenuated after full adjustment.

Conclusions:

  • Bedtime inconsistency is a significant correlate of child anxiety.
  • Sugary drink consumption shows a stronger association with overweight or obesity in children.
  • Sleep routines and dietary behaviors represent distinct, potentially modifiable factors influencing child mental and physical health.
Abstract

Keywords:
NSCHbedtime consistencychild anxietyobesitysleep timingsugar-sweetened beverages

More Related Videos

A Method for Manipulating Blood Glucose and Measuring Resulting Changes in Cognitive Accessibility of Target Stimuli08:01

A Method for Manipulating Blood Glucose and Measuring Resulting Changes in Cognitive Accessibility of Target Stimuli

Published on: August 12, 2016

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults09:17

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

Published on: July 16, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation01:13

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep01:24

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Insomnia01:27

Insomnia

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone01:29

Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
Nightmares and Night Terrors01:18

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares often...