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Sleep and weight-height development Please cite this article as: El Halal CS, Nunes ML. Sleep and weight-height development. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2019;95:S2-S9.

Abstract

Objectives:

To describe the association between sleep duration and weight-height development in children and adolescents.

Source of data:

A non-systematic search in the MEDLINE database was performed using the terms anthropometry, body composition, overweight, obesity, body mass index, growth, length, short stature, sleep, children, and infants and adolescents, limited to the last 5 years. The references cited in the revised articles were also reviewed, when relevant.

Synthesis of data:

Sleep disorders are prevalent in the pediatric population. Among them, insomnia, which leads to a reduction in total sleep time, is the most prevalent disorder. Evidence found in the current literature allows the conclusion that sleep time reduction has a role in the current pandemic of overweight and obesity. Studies associating sleep deprivation and deficit in height growth are still insufficient.

Conclusions:

The association between shorter sleep duration and risk of overweight and obesity is well established for all pediatric age groups. However, more evidence is needed to establish an association between insufficient sleep duration and height growth deficit. Pediatricians should include the encouragement of healthy sleep habits in their routine guidelines as an adjuvant in the prevention and management of excess weight.

KEYWORDS
Body composition; Body mass index; Growth; Sleep; Children; Adolescents

Resumo

Objetivos:

O objetivo deste artigo é descrever a associac¸ão entre a durac¸ão de sono e o desenvolvimento pondero-estatural entre crianc¸as e adolescentes.

Fontes de dados:

Foi realizada uma busca não-sistemática na base de dados MEDLINE utilizando os termos antropometria, composic¸ão corporal, sobrepeso, obesidade, índice de massa corporal, crescimento, comprimento, baixa estatura, sono, crianc¸as, lactentes e adolescentes, limitadas aos últimos cinco anos. As referências citadas nos artigos revisados também foram, conforme relevância, revisados.

Síntese dos dados:

Distúrbios do sono são prevalentes na população pediátrica. Dentre eles, a insônia, que cursa com redução do tempo total de sono, é a mais prevalente. Evidências presentes na literatura atual permitem apontar que a redução do tempo de sono tem um papel na pandemia atual de sobrepeso e obesidade. Os estudos que associam a privação de sono com déficit no crescimento estatural ainda são insuficientes.

Conclusões:

A associação entre menor duração de sono e risco para sobrepeso e obesidade está bem estabelecida para todas as faixas etárias da pediatria. Entretanto, maiores evidências são necessárias para que se possa estabelecer uma associação entre duração insuficiente de sono e déficit no crescimento estatural. O médico pediatra deve incluir nas suas orientações de rotina o estímulo a hábitos de sono saudáveis como coadjuvante na prevenção e manejo do excesso de peso.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE
Composição corporal; Índice de massa corporal; Crescimento; Sono; Crianças; Adolescentes

Introduction

Sleep disorders are prevalent in the population and can affect up to 30% of individuals between childhood and adolescence; according to their duration and severity, they are associated with changes in behavior, mood, attention, and school performance.11 Honaker SM, Meltzer LJ. Sleep in pediatric primary care: a review of the literature. Sleep Med Rev. 2016;25:31-9.

Sleep is a physiological state that exerts an important homeostatic function. Although clinically present as a reduction of interaction with the environment and inactivity, it physiologically represents a period of intense activity, acting on tissue repair, memory consolidation, and somatic growth.22 Davis KF, Parker KP, Montgomery GL. Sleep in infants and young children: part one: normal sleep. J Pediatr Health Care. 2004;18:65-71.

Several endocrinological factors have their release associated with the circadian rhythm, with their activity and concentration oscillating according to the time and state of wakefulness or sleep of the individual.33 Schwartz MD, Kilduff TS. The neurobiology of sleep and wakefulness. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2015;38:615-44. Sleep disturbances, especially insomnia, which occurs simultaneously with insufficient sleep duration, may influence the homeostatic balance maintenance, culminating in deleterious effects on body functions.

This review aimed to describe the association between reduction in sleep duration in childhood and adolescence and its association with weight changes and growth in stature.

Normal sleep duration and architecture in childhood and adolescence

Sleep architecture undergoes significant modifications throughout childhood. A newborn sleeps around two-thirds of the 24 h, being interrupted by dietary needs and discomfort. Additionally, sleep begins with the active phase (precursor of rapid-eye movements [REM] sleep), which is the predominant phase. During the first year of life, there is a gradual consolidation of the circadian rhythm, with the concentration of the sleep period during nighttime from 6 months of age onwards, maintenance of one to two periods of daytime sleep and consequent reduction in the total sleep time in the 24 h. Thus, whereas a newborn sleeps on average between 14 and 17 h a day, a 12-month-old infant sleeps an average of 11-14 h, starting with the non-REM phase (NREM), which predominates in the first half of the night, and takes up most of the total sleep period. Throughout childhood until adolescence, the recommended duration of sleep continues to decline, with the suppression of the need for daytime sleep at around 5 years of age.22 Davis KF, Parker KP, Montgomery GL. Sleep in infants and young children: part one: normal sleep. J Pediatr Health Care. 2004;18:65-71.

While the best parameter to define the ideal sleep requirement, in individual terms, is sleep duration, which allows the individual to fully exercise his/her diurnal activities, a consensus based on the current literature indicates the overall recommendations, on average, and the intervals that may be considered normal for each age group.44 Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, Alessi C, Bruni O, DonCarlos L, et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015:40-3. Recommendations for sleep duration per age group, as well as variations accepted as possibly normal, are shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 1
Recommended sleep duration, on average () according to the age range, and intervals that can be considered normal (), according to individual variations.

Insomnia in childhood and adolescence

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine classifies sleep disorders into seven categories: insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, hypersomnia of central origin, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, and other sleep disorders.55 Sateia MJ. International classification of sleep disorders-third edition: highlights and modifications. Chest. 2014;146:1387-94. In childhood and adolescence, insomnia is the most prevalent disorder, affecting up to 30% of individuals in this age group.66 Nunes ML, Bruni O. Insomnia in childhood and adolescence: clinical aspects, diagnosis, and therapeutic approach. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2015;91:S26-35. Insomnia is defined as difficulty to fall or stay asleep, waking up earlier than desired, resistance to initiate sleep, or difficulty to initiate sleep without external intervention (parents or caregivers), while being in an adequate environment for sleeping, i.e., without exposure to televisions, Smartphone, or tablets. The light frequency emitted by these devices affects the release of the hormone melatonin, responsible for the circadian cycle regulation, consequently reducing sleepiness and delaying the onset of sleep.77 Maski K, Owens JA. Insomnia, parasomnias, and narcolepsy in children: clinical features, diagnosis, and management. Lancet Neurol. 2016;15:1170-81.

When the above symptoms are present for at least three days a week and for at least three months, insomnia is classified as chronic. For the diagnosis of insomnia, the child/adolescent or his/her caregiver must demonstrate daytime impairment related to the reduction of sleep time, such as drowsiness, fatigue, decrease in academic, occupational and/or intellectual performance, or even mood swings or behavior alterations.55 Sateia MJ. International classification of sleep disorders-third edition: highlights and modifications. Chest. 2014;146:1387-94.

In childhood, behavioral insomnia predominates, represented by two subtypes.88 Brown KM, Malow BA. Pediatric Insomnia. Chest. 2016;149:1332-9. The first characterizes insomnia by inadequate associations, in which the child depends on a stimulus, object, or environment to initiate or resume sleep. Thus, a child who needs, for instance, the maternal presence, lullabies, or feeding to initiate sleep, will need that same context to resume sleep the moment he/she awakens during the night. The second is represented by insomnia due to the lack of limits. In this context, which predominates among preschoolers and schoolchildren, there is a refusal by the child to go to bed, or recurrent demands for fluid intake or going to the bathroom during bedtime, avoiding going to bed. In this subtype, the delay in initiating sleep predominates, but not necessarily with a greater number of nocturnal awakenings. Mixed cases, with the presence of behavioral symptoms and secondary to the lack of limits, may occur.

In adolescence, circadian rhythm disorders, especially phase delays, are important factors contributing to the development of insomnia.66 Nunes ML, Bruni O. Insomnia in childhood and adolescence: clinical aspects, diagnosis, and therapeutic approach. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2015;91:S26-35.,88 Brown KM, Malow BA. Pediatric Insomnia. Chest. 2016;149:1332-9. Individuals with phase delays tend to delay sleep onset, usually for more than 2 h beyond what is desired and expected to meet their social commitments.99 Martinez D, Lenz MCS, Menna-Barreto L. Diagnosis of circadian rhythm sleep disorders. J Bras Pneumol. 2008;34:173-80. As a consequence, there is difficulty in waking up in the following morning, associated with behavioral symptoms with daytime hypersomnolence, as well as attention and behavior disorders. Phase delay can affect up to 16% of the adolescent population, being associated with hormonal changes inherent to puberty, social pressure, and inadequate sleep hygiene (irregularity of sleep onset between weekdays and weekends, access to electronic medias close to sleep time, use of licit or illicit stimulating substances, or consumption of caffeinated beverages).1010 Owens J, Group AS. Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: an update on causes and consequences. Pediatrics. 2014;134:e921-32.

In the presence of insomnia, a differential diagnosis with organic diseases should be carried out.1111 Miano S, Peraita-Adrados R. Pediatric insomnia: clinical, diagnosis, and treatment. Rev Neurol. 2014;58:35-42. This suspicion is particularly important in infants, since gastroesophageal reflux disease and food allergies are often associated with insomnia and sleep-related breathing disorders in this age group, which may represent the key symptoms of the diseases. In these cases, an organic picture may be associated with behavioral insomnia, since the symptoms of the underlying disease may favor the adherence of negative associations at the time of sleep by the caregivers.1111 Miano S, Peraita-Adrados R. Pediatric insomnia: clinical, diagnosis, and treatment. Rev Neurol. 2014;58:35-42.

Among acute infections in infants, acute otitis media should be considered as a diagnosis. Although sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep Obstructive apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), are more common among schoolchildren and adolescents, this diagnosis should not be ignored as a possibility in infants and toddlers.

Table 1 shows the main diagnoses that need to be ruled out from a patient in the age group from childhood to adolescence with insomnia-related complaints.

Table 1
Differential diagnosis of insomnia according to prevalence by age group.

Metabolic cycle and sleep

The circadian clock in humans, as well as other mammals, follows a period of approximately 24 h of duration.1212 Morris CJ, Aeschbach D, Scheer FA. Circadian system, sleep and endocrinology. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012;349:91-104. Its main pacemaker is found in neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus.

The circadian pacemaker is influenced by factors that are intrinsic or extrinsic to the body, among which the most potent is light. Other factors that regulate the endogenous rhythm are the availability of food, social commitments, and interaction.1212 Morris CJ, Aeschbach D, Scheer FA. Circadian system, sleep and endocrinology. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012;349:91-104. Under normal conditions, behavioral and physiological events such as changes in body temperature, sleep phases, or hormonal secretion occur at regular times during the days, synchronizing the circadian rhythms between day and night, allowing the maintenance of homeostasis.1313 Schulz P, Steimer T. Neurobiology of circadian systems. CNS Drugs. 2009;23:3-13.,1414 Lucassen EA, Rother KI, Cizza G. Interacting epidemics? Sleep curtailment, insulin resistance, and obesity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1264:110-34.

In humans (and other mammals), the concentration of several hormones varies throughout the 24 h of the day, and its regulation is influenced by both sleep and activity.1212 Morris CJ, Aeschbach D, Scheer FA. Circadian system, sleep and endocrinology. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012;349:91-104. The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is released in pulses at the end of the day, reaching its peak before awakening, with a concomitant cortisol peak occurring early in the morning, whereas its lowest point occurs at around 3 AM. The increase in cortisol acts on insulin sensitivity, which peaks between 12 PM and 6 PM, and its lowest point between midnight and 6 AM, which peripherally lowers blood glucose and stimulates appetite.1414 Lucassen EA, Rother KI, Cizza G. Interacting epidemics? Sleep curtailment, insulin resistance, and obesity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1264:110-34. Both the growth hormone (GH) and the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) have their plasma concentrations increased at sleep onset, reaching their maximum concentration 24 h later, and decreasing in 24 h before awakening.1515 Gómez-González B, Domínguez-Salazar E, Hurtado-Alvarado G, Esqueda-Leon E, Santana-Miranda R, Rojas-Zamorano JA, et al. Role of sleep in the regulation of the immune system and the pituitary hormones. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1261:97-106. In electrophysiological terms, evidence suggests that the activity density of slow waves that occur during NREM sleep is closely related to the release of GH and TSH, whereas REM sleep is associated with cortisol release.1616 Sharma S, Kavuru M. Sleep and metabolism: an overview. Int J Endocrinol. 2010: 270832.

Hormones responsible for regulating appetite are also influenced by the circadian rhythm. Leptin, secreted by the adipose tissue in a pulsatile manner, is elevated after meals and at night, while ghrelin, produced in the stomach, increases during fasting and sleep.1616 Sharma S, Kavuru M. Sleep and metabolism: an overview. Int J Endocrinol. 2010: 270832. Both act on the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, where the appetite regulation center is believed to be located. In it, leptin prolongs the postprandial response to glucose and reduces appetite, whereas ghrelin, in its acetylated (active) form, acts on GH release, increasing appetite and promoting gastric emptying. The hypothalamic neuropeptides that stimulate appetite, orexin A and B, have their release stimulated by ghrelin and inhibited by leptin and glucose.1414 Lucassen EA, Rother KI, Cizza G. Interacting epidemics? Sleep curtailment, insulin resistance, and obesity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1264:110-34.

The central nervous system and the immune system are mutually influential. Thus, sleep alterations favor immune modifications and exposure of the body to infections, as well as the immunological response may also induce sleep modifications.1515 Gómez-González B, Domínguez-Salazar E, Hurtado-Alvarado G, Esqueda-Leon E, Santana-Miranda R, Rojas-Zamorano JA, et al. Role of sleep in the regulation of the immune system and the pituitary hormones. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1261:97-106. Interleukins 1 (IL-1) and 6 (IL-6), as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), have a circadian release. IL-1 decreases during the night to a lowest point at about 8 AM, whereas IL-6 reaches its peak at 2 and 5 AM, and the peak of release of TNF occurs at around 6 AM, with its lowest point occurring at around 3 PM. Both interleukins and TNF act by stimulating cortisol secretion, which in turn acts on weight maintenance or gain, with its peak occurring at night and lowest point upon awakening. Sleep deprivation increases the release of these cytokines and TNF, which are also increased in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.1515 Gómez-González B, Domínguez-Salazar E, Hurtado-Alvarado G, Esqueda-Leon E, Santana-Miranda R, Rojas-Zamorano JA, et al. Role of sleep in the regulation of the immune system and the pituitary hormones. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1261:97-106.

Fig. 2 shows the physiological release peaks of the several factors mentioned.

Figure 2
Physiological circadian distribution of hormones and inflammatory factors, considering a hypothetical time of sleep onset at 9 PM (). IL-6, interleukin-6; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.

Sleep duration and overweight or obesity

Overweight and obesity are considered to be pandemics related to the modern lifestyle, affecting more than 107 million children worldwide, according to a survey carried out with data obtained up to the year 2015.1717 Afshin A, Forouzanfar MH, Reitsma MB, Sur P, Estep K, Lee A, et al. Health effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:13-27. Although sedentary lifestyle and diet rich in processed foods are recognized as the main determinants of the progressive weight gain observed in the global population, another common characteristic to most modern societies is the progressive decrease in the total sleep time observed since childhood.1818 Swinburn BA, Sacks G, Hall KD, McPherson K, Finegood DT, Moodie ML, et al. The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments. Lancet. 2011;378:804-14. A European study, observing sleep characteristics obtained between the 1970s and 1990s in population-based cohorts carried out in Switzerland, has shown that the reduction in total sleep time in the last decades is observed since the first six months of life.1919 Iglowstein I, Jenni OG, Molinari L, Largo RH. Sleep duration from infancy to adolescence: reference values and generational trends. Pediatrics. 2003;111:302-7. In these populations, the reduction in total sleep time appears to be related to later times of sleep onset combined with a wake-up time that has remained practically unchanged over the decades.

The association between insufficient sleep duration and weight gain has been the object of study in recent years, initially among the adult population and, more recently, in the adolescent, school, and preschool age groups. Most evidence suggests a positive association between sleep deprivation and the risk of overweight and/or obesity in all age groups studied.2020 Fatima Y, Doi SA, Mamun AA. Longitudinal impact of sleep on overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review and bias-adjusted meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2015;16:137-49. The most recent published meta-analysis, which included data from more than 55,000 children aged 0-16, found that participants with a shorter sleep duration were 76% more likely to be overweight/obese than those with longer sleep duration, in addition to presenting a greater gain in their annual body mass index (BMI).2121 Ruan H, Xun P, Cai W, He K, Tang Q. Habitual sleep duration and risk of childhood obesity: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Sci Rep. 2015;5:16160. In turn, an increase of 1 h in total daily sleep represented a reduction in the risk of overweight or obesity by 21%.

In pre-adolescents aged 10 years or older, followed-up for 3 years, sleep duration of less than 10.5 h a day was associated with a 55% greater risk of overweight than those sleeping at least 11 h.2222 Seegers V, Petit D, Falissard B, Vitaro F, Tremblay RE, Montplaisir J, et al. Short sleep duration and body mass index: a prospective longitudinal study in preadolescence. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173:621-9. Similarly, a study that followed-up over 900 children aged 7-12 found an increase in BMI with a reduction in total sleep time, so that the difference in BMI at the end of the follow-up among children that slept persistently less during the study period averaged 1 point in comparison to children who slept more and consistently throughout follow-up.2323 O'Dea JA, Dibley MJ, Rankin NM. Low sleep and low socioeconomic status predict high body mass index: a 4-year longitudinal study of Australian schoolchildren. Pediatr Obes. 2012;7:295-303. Among school-age children (8-10 years) whose sleep was assessed through objective data (actigraphy), sleep duration of less than 10 h was associated with a two-fold increased risk of being overweight.2424 Chaput JP, Lambert M, Gray-Donald K, McGrath JJ, Tremblay MS, O'Loughlin J, et al. Short sleep duration is independently associated with overweight and obesity in Quebec children. Can J Public Health. 2011;102:369-74.

The variability between sleep duration on weekdays when compared to weekends was also shown to be a risk factor for overweight/obesity. An American study with children aged 4-10 years using an objective home method of sleep evaluation found that sleep duration on weekends was more variable among obese children when compared to children with normal weight or who were overweight. In the same study, children who had significant variations in sleep duration between weekdays and weekends or those who slept little every night of the week were at increased risk for plasma insulin and LDL-cholesterol alterations.2525 Spruyt K, Molfese DL, Gozal D. Sleep duration, sleep regularity, body weight, and metabolic homeostasis in school-aged children. Pediatrics. 2011;127:e345-52.

The bigger risk for weight gain among children with shorter sleep duration appears to be present at a very early age, even at preschool age. A Brazilian longitudinal study found that sleep duration of less than 10 h a day at any time between 1 and 4 years of age was associated with a risk more than 30% greater of overweight or obesity at 4 years.2626 Halal CS, Matijasevich A, Howe LD, Santos IS, Barros FC, Nunes ML. Short sleep duration in the first years of life and obesity/overweight at age 4 years: a birth cohort study. J Pediatr. 2016;168:99-103. Similar results were found in studies carried out in developed countries, one of which followed children from 6 months to 7 years of age, and concluded that the higher the exposure to periods of insufficient sleep during the follow-up period, the bigger the risk of overweight/obesity at 7 years.2727 Taveras EM, Gillman MW, Peña MM, Redline S, Rifas-Shiman SL. Chronic sleep curtailment and adiposity. Pediatrics. 2014;133:1013-22. An even earlier onset of shorter sleep duration, at 2 months after birth, was also associated with an increased risk of overweight 6 years later.2020 Fatima Y, Doi SA, Mamun AA. Longitudinal impact of sleep on overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review and bias-adjusted meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2015;16:137-49.

Sleep duration and growth in stature

The longitudinal growth in childhood is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, mediated by metabolic factors via GH. Short stature at 2 years of age was associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases and lower schooling and income in adulthood.2828 Victora CG, Adair L, Fall C, Hallal PC, Martorell R, Richter L, et al. Maternal and child undernutrition: consequences for adult health and human capital. Lancet. 2008;371:340-57. Nevertheless, in addition to the association between GH release and sleep, the association between sleep pattern changes and height growth has been, until now, little explored in the literature.

The studies developed to date show conflicting results; however, they assess heterogeneous populations in terms of both age range and ethnicity - two factors associated with both sleep patterns and anthropometric measures - as well as the definition used for changes in the sleep pattern.2929 Millward DJ. Nutrition, infection and stunting: the roles of deficiencies of individual nutrients and foods, and of inflammation, as determinants of reduced linear growth of children. Nutr Res Rev. 2017;30:50-72.

A longitudinal study carried out in Singapore with approximately 900 children found a positive association between lower sleep duration at three months (12 h a day or less) and shorter stature at 24 months, similar to that observed in a North-American study of 23 preschoolers, followed for 4-17 months.3030 Zhou Y, Aris IM, Tan SS, Cai S, Tint MT, Krishnaswamy G, et al. Sleep duration and growth outcomes across the first two years of life in the GUSTO study. Sleep Med. 2015;16:1281-6.,3131 Lampl M, Johnson ML. Infant growth in length follows prolonged sleep and increased naps. Sleep. 2011;34:641-50. In that study, longer duration of nocturnal sleep, as well as daytime sleep episodes were associated with higher height growth.3131 Lampl M, Johnson ML. Infant growth in length follows prolonged sleep and increased naps. Sleep. 2011;34:641-50. The cohort study of Jenni et al., however, which followed 300 children between 1 and 10 years of age every 6 months between 12 and 24 months and yearly afterwards, failed to observe an association between sleep duration and longitudinal growth in any of the evaluated periods.3232 Jenni OG, Molinari L, Caflisch JA, Largo RH. Sleep duration from ages 1 to 10 years: variability and stability in comparison with growth. Pediatrics. 2007;120:e769-76. Among children aged 5-11 years born in the United Kingdom, a negative association was found between sleep duration and height.3333 Gulliford MC, Price CE, Rona RJ, Chinn S. Sleep habits and height at ages 5 to 11. Arch Dis Child. 1990;65:119-22.

Among the studies evaluating individuals between pre-adolescence and adolescence, one of them, carried out in China, observed that a one-hour difference in usual sleep duration (less than 9 h or 10 h or more) in 143 children between 10 and 11 years was associated with greater height growth.3434 Jiang YR, Spruyt K, Chen WJ, Shen XM, Jiang F. Somatic growth of lean children: the potential role of sleep. World J Pediatr. 2014;10:245-50. Sleep duration, however, was not associated with differences between growth rates in a period of one year in adolescents between 12 and 16 years of age.3535 Knutson KL. The association between pubertal status and sleep duration and quality among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents. Am J Hum Biol. 2005;17:418-24. It is important to note that, in that study, height was only objectively measured at one of the moments, and was reported by the adolescent when considering the initial height.

Discussion

Sleep plays a crucial role in the body's homeostasis. Its association with weight-height development in childhood and adolescence, especially in its association with weight gain, has been the subject of great interest. Most of the available evidence speaks in favor of an influence of insufficient sleep on weight gain. The meta-analysis conducted by Chen et al. found a 58% greater aggregate risk of overweight or obesity in participants with shorter sleep duration in the age group of 0-18 years. Furthermore, among the individuals at the highest extreme of short sleep duration, the aggregate risk was 92% higher.3636 Chen X, Beydoun MA, Wang Y. Is sleep duration associated with childhood obesity? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16:265-74.

It is estimated that sleep deprivation acts directly on the risk of overweight/obesity through its role on sympathetic activation and increase of catecholamines, elevation of cortisol by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and increase of interleukins and TNF through an activation of the inflammatory cascade. Therefore, there is an increase in insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, favoring glucose tolerance, weight gain, and the development of type 2 diabetes.3737 Briançon-Marjollet A, Weiszenstein M, Henri M, Thomas A, Godin-Ribuot D, Polak J. The impact of sleep disorders on glucose metabolism: endocrine and molecular mechanisms. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2015;7:25. Another mechanism by which sleep deprivation could be associated with weight gain would be through appetite regulation, probably mediated by increased ghrelin and reduced leptin levels.2020 Fatima Y, Doi SA, Mamun AA. Longitudinal impact of sleep on overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review and bias-adjusted meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2015;16:137-49. Studies carried out in adult populations subjected to acute and intense sleep deprivation provide most evidence for metabolic alterations related to reduction of sleep time. One study, assessing 24-h total sleep deprivation in healthy men, found a significant reduction in energy expenditure on the following day, elevated plasma ghrelin levels in the morning, and elevated plasma levels of thyrotropin, cortisol, and norepinephrine.3838 Benedict C, Hallschmid M, Lassen A, Mahnke C, Schultes B, Schiöth HB, et al. Acute sleep deprivation reduces energy expenditure in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:1229-36. Elevations of IL-6 and TNF levels have also been observed after partial sleep deprivation among adults.3939 Ma N, Dinges DF, Basner M, Rao H. How acute total sleep loss affects the attending brain: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Sleep. 2015;38:233-40. However, the effect of sleep deprivation, especially moderate deprivations of the ideal sleep time, may not be immediate. In the study by Brondel et al., a 4-h sleep deprivation in one night led to an intake increase only 36 h later and, in the study by St-Onge et al., 5 days after sleep deprivation.4040 Brondel L, Romer MA, Nougues PM, Touyarou P, Davenne D. Acute partial sleep deprivation increases food intake in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91:1550-9.,4141 St-Onge MP, Roberts AL, Chen J, Kelleman M, O’Keeffe M, RoyChoudhury A, et al. Short sleep duration increases energy intakes but does not change energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94:410-6. The association between shorter sleep duration and higher caloric intake among preschool children was demonstrated in a longitudinal evaluation in the pediatric age range.4242 Fisher A, McDonald L, van Jaarsveld CH, Llewellyn C, Fildes A, Schrempft S, et al. Sleep and energy intake in early childhood. Int J Obes (Lond). 2014;38:926-9.

Few studies have evaluated the effect of interventions aimed at increasing sleep time on weight loss or maintenance or on height growth. An intervention performed with mothers of infants in the second week of life, based on sleep hygiene, feeding and emotional regulation, and sporadically reinforced up to 40 weeks postnatal, found a lower risk of overweight at 1 year of age in the intervention group.4343 Savage JS, Birch LL, Marini M, Anzman-Frasca S, Paul IM. Effect of the INSIGHT responsive parenting intervention on rapid infant weight gain and overweight status at age 1 year: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170:742-9. However, there is no reference to sleep duration between the groups at the time of the outcome assessment, and since interventions were also made on other behavioral issues (including food), one cannot affirm that the lower weight gain was due to the intervention on sleep. Another study that evaluated the effect of an intervention on sleep duration, exposure to television media and feeding, developed with children aged 2-5 years from low-income families of a developed country, found an increase in sleep duration of almost 1 h a day, a reduction in television time on weekends and 0.4 points in BMI 6 months later.4444 Haines J, McDonald J, O’Brien A, Sherry B, Bottino CJ, Schmidt ME, et al. Healthy Habits, Happy Homes: randomized trial to improve household routines for obesity prevention among preschool-aged children. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167:1072-9. In turn, Wake et al.’s sleep intervention in 7-month-old children found no association with overweight 6 years later.4545 Wake M, Price A, Clifford S, Ukoumunne OC, Hiscock H. Does an intervention that improves infant sleep also improve overweight at age 6? Follow-up of a randomised trial. Arch Dis Child. 2011;96:526-32. In the intervention performed by Hart et al., children between 8 and 11 years of age were assessed through actigraphy.4646 Hart CN, Carskadon MA, Considine RV, Fava JL, Lawton J, Raynor HA, et al. Changes in children's sleep duration on food intake, weight, and leptin. Pediatrics. 2013;132:e1473-80. In the first week, sleep was evaluated in its usual pattern, followed by a week sleeping 1.5 h more or less and, in the third week, changing patterns between the groups in relation to the restriction or increase of habitual sleep duration. In the sleep restriction week, the participants showed greater caloric intake and weight gain of, on average, 0.22 kg.

Studies evaluating the possible role of sleep on height growth have an observational design, and their results suggest a positive association between longer duration of sleep and height. In the study by Lampl and Johnson, the probability of episodic growth, the so-called “growth spurt”, increased by 20% for each additional hour of sleep and 43% for each daytime sleep episode in children aged 4-17 months.3131 Lampl M, Johnson ML. Infant growth in length follows prolonged sleep and increased naps. Sleep. 2011;34:641-50. Another study, carried out in China, including children between 10 and 11 years of age with BMI below the 15th percentile, found that children with longer sleep duration were taller.3434 Jiang YR, Spruyt K, Chen WJ, Shen XM, Jiang F. Somatic growth of lean children: the potential role of sleep. World J Pediatr. 2014;10:245-50. An interesting result of the manuscript is the association found between longer sleep duration and higher BMI, suggesting that sleep may play a regulatory role in both overweight and underweight situations. This result is similar to that found in a longitudinal study that followed-up 10,000 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 19 years.4747 Sivertsen B, Pallesen S, Sand L, Hysing M. Sleep and body mass index in adolescence: results from a large population-based study of Norwegian adolescents aged 16 to 19 years. BMC Pediatr. 2014;14:204. In that study, both adolescents with obesity or overweight, as well as those who were underweight, slept less than those with normal weight, with the lowest mean sleep duration being found among those who were underweight. The authors suggest as a possible mechanism of association in a context of low caloric intake, the elevation of hormones that favor wakefulness, such as orexins.

The most recent recommendations from organizations that study factors in favor of obesity prevention and management have recently started including sleep quality and duration optimization in childhood as a measure associated with dietary and physical activity modifications.4848 Kumar S, Kelly AS. Review of childhood obesity: from epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidities to clinical assessment and treatment. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92:251-65.

49 Porter RM, Tindall A, Gaffka BJ, Kirk S, Santos M, Abraham-Pratt I, et al. Modifiable Risk factors for severe obesity in children ages 5 and younger: a review from the expert exchange workgroup. Child Obes. 2018.
-5050 Börnhorst C, Wijnhoven TM, Kunešová M, Yngve A, Rito AI, Lissner L, et al. WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: associations between sleep duration, screen time and food consumption frequencies. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:442.

Conclusions

The association between shorter sleep duration and risk of overweight and obesity is well established for all pediatric age groups. However, further evidence is needed to establish an association between insufficient sleep duration and height growth deficit.

Pediatricians should include the encouragement of healthy sleep habits in their routine guidelines as an adjuvant to the prevention and management of excess weight.

  • Funding
    MLN is a CNPq PQ researcher.
  • Please cite this article as: El Halal CS, Nunes ML. Sleep and weight-height development. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2019;95:S2-S9.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    18 Apr 2019
  • Date of issue
    2019

History

  • Received
    27 Sept 2018
  • Accepted
    8 Oct 2018
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