Longitudinal Associations Between Physical Activity and Sleep Duration in Infants and Toddlers

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined longitudinal associations between average physical activity (PA) levels in children and their sleep duration, and whether changes in PA levels are associated with their sleep duration. Methods: Data were collected on 108 children at 4 time points: when children were 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age (44% female, 50% Non-Hispanic White). PA was assessed using accelerometry. Children’s daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour sleep duration were measured with actigraphy. Linear mixed model analyses estimated the associations between average PA levels over time and changes in PA over time, treating each sleep duration variable as an outcome in separate linear mixed model analyses. Results: Children with higher total PA levels slept less during the day compared with children with lower total PA levels over the 2-year period. The strength of the relationship between a child’s PA levels and their 24-hour sleep duration decreased as they approached 24 months of age. Conclusions: The results suggest that while PA may be developmentally beneficial overall, it appears that its relationship with sleep duration is not clinically relevant in very young children.