In an unexpected association, sleep seems to have profound effects on children and their ability to grow normally. But how exactly do sleep problems affect growth hormone release in children? Whatsleep disordersmight predispose a child to being shorter or gaining excess weight? The answers may surprise you and fortunately, effective treatments may lead to a growth spurt.
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Sleep Apnea and Growth Problems
As an example of the impacts of sleep disorders on normal growth, it is known thatsleep apnea in childrencan have profound effects on growth. These children have periodic obstructions in their upper airway that can cause snoring or pauses in their breathing. The body awakens itself into lighter sleep to open the airway and resume normal breathing. As such, deeper sleep may become fragmented and growth hormone secretion may be compromised.
Any sleep disorder that disrupts deep sleep may decrease growth hormone secretion. Moreover, simply not getting enough sleep could have the same effects. Fortunately, children whose sleep apnea is treated undergo a rebound growth spurt. Many will recover to their prior growth trajectory, moving back to their prior percentiles. This suggests that addressing the other conditions that undermine sleep quality, such as restless legs syndrome, may likewise be beneficial.
Sleep Deprivation, Failure to Meet Sleep Needs, and Excessive Weight
The risk ofsleep deprivation causing obesityhas been well studied in adults. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, it may relate to hormonal changes or effects on normal metabolism. A similar association appears to exist in children. When children don’t get enough sleep at night to meet their age-based sleep needs, they are at risk of undermining their overall health.
Over the past 20 years, many independent studies of more than 50,000 children support the fact that sleep deprivation appears to be associated with an increased risk of obesity. In 2002, a study of 8,274 Japanese children who were 6-7 years old showed that fewer hours of sleep increased the risk of childhood obesity.
These consequences appear to persist beyond the period of sleep disruption. In 2005, a study showed that sleep deprivation at age 30 months predicted obesity at age 7 years. The researchers hypothesize that sleep disruption may cause permanent damage to the area of the brain called thehypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating appetite and energy expenditure.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nieminen P, Löppönen T, Tolonen U, Lanning P, Knip M, Löppönen H.Growth and biochemical markers of growth in children with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2002;109(4):e55. doi:10.1542/peds.109.4.e55Sekine M, Yamagami T, Handa K, et al. A dose-response relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood obesity: results of the Toyama Birth Cohort Study. Child Care Health Dev. 2002;28(2):163-70. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00260.xVorona RD, Winn MP, Babineau TW, Eng BP, Feldman HR, Ware JC.Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(1):25-30. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.1.25Additional ReadingAgras, WSet al. “Risk Factors for Childhood Overweight: a Prospective Study From Birth to 9.5 Years.“J Pediatr.2004;145(1):20-25.Durmer, JSet al. “Pediatric Sleep Medicine.“Continuum Neurol.2007;13(3):158.Taheri, S. “The Link Between Short Sleep Duration and Obesity: We Should Recommend More Sleep to Prevent Obesity.“Arch. Dis. Child.2006;91;881-884.Vorona, R.et al. “Overweight and Obese Patients in a Primary Care Population Report Less Sleep Than Patients With a Normal Body Mass Index.“Archives of Internal Medicine.Jan 10, 2005. Vol 165:25-30.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nieminen P, Löppönen T, Tolonen U, Lanning P, Knip M, Löppönen H.Growth and biochemical markers of growth in children with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2002;109(4):e55. doi:10.1542/peds.109.4.e55Sekine M, Yamagami T, Handa K, et al. A dose-response relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood obesity: results of the Toyama Birth Cohort Study. Child Care Health Dev. 2002;28(2):163-70. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00260.xVorona RD, Winn MP, Babineau TW, Eng BP, Feldman HR, Ware JC.Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(1):25-30. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.1.25Additional ReadingAgras, WSet al. “Risk Factors for Childhood Overweight: a Prospective Study From Birth to 9.5 Years.“J Pediatr.2004;145(1):20-25.Durmer, JSet al. “Pediatric Sleep Medicine.“Continuum Neurol.2007;13(3):158.Taheri, S. “The Link Between Short Sleep Duration and Obesity: We Should Recommend More Sleep to Prevent Obesity.“Arch. Dis. Child.2006;91;881-884.Vorona, R.et al. “Overweight and Obese Patients in a Primary Care Population Report Less Sleep Than Patients With a Normal Body Mass Index.“Archives of Internal Medicine.Jan 10, 2005. Vol 165:25-30.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nieminen P, Löppönen T, Tolonen U, Lanning P, Knip M, Löppönen H.Growth and biochemical markers of growth in children with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2002;109(4):e55. doi:10.1542/peds.109.4.e55Sekine M, Yamagami T, Handa K, et al. A dose-response relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood obesity: results of the Toyama Birth Cohort Study. Child Care Health Dev. 2002;28(2):163-70. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00260.xVorona RD, Winn MP, Babineau TW, Eng BP, Feldman HR, Ware JC.Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(1):25-30. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.1.25
Nieminen P, Löppönen T, Tolonen U, Lanning P, Knip M, Löppönen H.Growth and biochemical markers of growth in children with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2002;109(4):e55. doi:10.1542/peds.109.4.e55
Sekine M, Yamagami T, Handa K, et al. A dose-response relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood obesity: results of the Toyama Birth Cohort Study. Child Care Health Dev. 2002;28(2):163-70. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00260.x
Vorona RD, Winn MP, Babineau TW, Eng BP, Feldman HR, Ware JC.Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(1):25-30. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.1.25
Agras, WSet al. “Risk Factors for Childhood Overweight: a Prospective Study From Birth to 9.5 Years.“J Pediatr.2004;145(1):20-25.Durmer, JSet al. “Pediatric Sleep Medicine.“Continuum Neurol.2007;13(3):158.Taheri, S. “The Link Between Short Sleep Duration and Obesity: We Should Recommend More Sleep to Prevent Obesity.“Arch. Dis. Child.2006;91;881-884.Vorona, R.et al. “Overweight and Obese Patients in a Primary Care Population Report Less Sleep Than Patients With a Normal Body Mass Index.“Archives of Internal Medicine.Jan 10, 2005. Vol 165:25-30.
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