Randomized Controlled Trial to Enhance Children’s Sleep, Eating, and Weight

BACKGROUND: The present study assessed the efficacy of a behavioral intervention to enhance children’s sleep and reduce caloric intake and body mass index (BMI) change. METHODS: Seventy-eight children 8–11 years old who slept 9.5 hours/night or less were randomized to the sleep intervention or to no treatment control. Primary outcome was two-month change in the actigraph-estimated sleep period; changes in reported caloric intake, percent calories from fat, and BMI/BMI z-score (BMIz) were assessed. RESULTS: Children randomized to intervention enhanced their sleep period by 40 ± 7 minutes/night relative to control (p < .001), and were more likely to increase their sleep period by 30 minutes/night or more (52% versus 15%, p = .003). No differences were observed for reported dietary intake or BMI/BMIz. However, in post hoc analyses collapsing across groups, those who increased sleep by 30 minutes/night or more had lower BMI (−0.31kg/m(2), p = .01) and BMIz (−0.07, p = .03) and reported fewer percent calories from fat at two months (−2.2%, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Brief behavioral intervention can enhance children’s sleep, but did not result in changes in caloric intake or weight status. Enhancing sleep by 30 minutes/night or more may be beneficial for weight regulation.