Short Sleep Duration and Later Overweight in Infants

Abstract

To provide further knowledge about the longitudinal association between sleep duration and overweight in infants. The data for this study are from the CHILD-SLEEP birth cohort (n=1679). The sleep data are based on parent-reported total sleep duration collected at 3, 8, 18, and 24months. For a subgroup of 8-month old participants (n=350), an actigraph recording was also made. Growth data were derived from the child health clinic records. A logistic regression model was used to study the association between sleep duration and later weight development. Shorter sleep duration in 3-month-old infants was cross-sectionally associated with lower weight-for-length/height (all P values≤.026) and body mass index (all P values≤.038). Moreover, short sleep duration at the age of 3months was associated with greater weight-for-length/height z score at the age of 24months (aOR 1.56; 95% CI 1.02-2.38) as well as with a predisposition to gain excess weight between 3 and 24months of age (aOR 2.61; 95% CI 1.75-3.91). No significant associations were found between sleep duration at 8, 18, or 24months and concurrent or later weight status. Actigraph-measured short night-time sleep duration at the age of 8months was associated with greater weight-for-length at the age of 24months (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.02-2.23). Short total sleep duration at the age of 3months and short night-time sleep duration at the age of 8months are associated with the risk of gaining excess weight at 24months of age.