Sleep and eating in childhood: a potential behavioral mechanism underlying the relationship between poor sleep and obesity.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of our study was to examine the associations between sleep and eating behaviors. Specifically, we examined associations between sleep duration and continuity with behaviors that promote eating regardless of true physiologic hunger state including emotional (food intake in response to emotional distress) external (eating in response to the sight or smell of food), and restrained eating (a paradoxical behavior; food intake is initially reduced to lose or maintain body weight, but followed by increased consumption and binge eating).


METHODS
Fifty-six children (29 boys; 27 girls) ages 5 to 12 years participated in the study. Mean age was 7.7±1.9 years, and average body mass index (BMI) was within the healthy range (17.8±4.3 kg/m(2)).


METHODS
Sleep duration, continuity and schedule were assessed using actigraphy and self-reports. The Child Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-modified version (DEBQ-M) was used to examine levels of emotional, external and restrained eating in the children.


RESULTS
Associations between the sleep and eating behaviors were examined using partial correlations and multiple regression analyses. External eating score was negatively associated with sleep duration; emotional eating score was associated with lower levels of sleep continuity; and restrained eating score were associated with a later sleep start and later bedtime.


CONCLUSIONS
Short sleep duration and poor sleep continuity were associated with higher levels of eating behaviors shown to be associated with increased food intake. Therefore, sleep loss may be associated with diminished self-regulation of appetite in children, increasing the risk for overeating and obesity.
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Attention, Behavior and Sleep Lab, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: julia.burt@mail.mcgill.ca.
Julia
J
Burt
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: laurette.dube@mcgill.ca.
Laurette
L
Dube
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: louise.thibault@mcgill.ca.
Louise
L
Thibault
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Attention, Behavior and Sleep Lab, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: reut.gruber@douglas.mcgill.ca.
Reut
R
Gruber
D056044:Actigraphy; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology
Children; Eating behaviors; Emotional eating; External eating; Restrained eating; Sleep