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LONGITUDINAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SLEEP AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN INFANTS AND TODDLERS

A Bucko

Abstract

Agnes Bucko. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC.

BACKGROUND: Although there appears to be a positive relationship between sleep and PA among older populations, it is still unclear whether this relationship exists in infants and young children. This study aimed to examine whether average physical activity (PA) levels in children from 6-24 months old are associated with sleep duration and sleep quality, and examine whether changes in PA levels are associated with sleep duration and sleep quality. METHODS: Data were collected on 109 mother and child dyads when children were 6, 12, 18, and 24 months old (44% female, 50% Non-Hispanic White). Daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour sleep duration and the number of nighttime awakenings were measured with actigraphy. Daytime PA was assessed using accelerometry. Demographic characteristics were reported by the child’s mother at baseline and included sex, race/ethnicity, and Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program status. Separate associations of between-person differences and within-person changes in PA were estimated with each of the sleep variables as the outcome in separate linear mixed model analyses adjusting for demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Children with higher total PA levels slept less during the day compared to children with lower total PA levels. When children were more physically active compared to their own average PA levels, their 24-hour sleep duration was lower. CONCLUSIONS: There is an inverse association between sleep and PA in infants, which is inconsistent with the results of similar studies in older children and adolescents. Future research should assess whether the relationship varies depending on PA intensity once PA intensity cut points are established for infants. Funding information: This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health [R01-HD091483 and T32-GM081740].

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