Associations between physical and sedentary activity regularity and sleep in preschoolers and kindergartners

Short sleep duration in childhood has been associated with increased risk for overweight and obesity. Research suggests that physical activity might mediate this association. However, studies examining associations between physical activity and sleep in young children have reported equivocal findings. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies is that past studies have looked at total physical activity rather than examining physical activity regularity. We aimed to explore the associations between physical and sedentary activity regularity (ie, consistent vs intermittent behavior) and sleep in preschoolers and kindergartners. One hundred and thirty-one children (ages 4-6) wore waist-worn accelerometers for 3 days and 3 nights. Associations between physical and sedentary activity regularity and attaining adequate sleep duration were assessed using logistic regression. There was no association between the number of days that children engaged in ≥60 minutes of total physical activity and sufficient sleep. Furthermore, there was no association between the number of days that children engaged in ≥20 minutes of vigorous activity and sufficient sleep. Children who engaged in minimal sedentary activity had greater odds of obtaining sufficient sleep as compared with children who engaged in more sedentary activity.