ESPE Abstracts (2015) 84 P-3-854

Department of Nursing, Faculty of Human Movement and Quality of Life Sciences, University of Peloponnese, Sparta, Greece


Background: Sleep is a complex and essential biological process that is required on a daily basis for all humans, playing a vital role in the maintenance of the homeostasis in short and long term.

Aims and objectives: To investigate the role of sleep hours in correlation with risk factors for metabolic disorders in a children population.

Methods: The program was implemented in 949 children (5–12 years old) living in Sparta-Greece. The lifestyle was determined by using specially designed questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were made. In 480 of them a determination of the haematological and biochemical profile was conducted.

Results: 58.8% of the children go to sleep between 19.00–22.00 h, 37.8% between 22.00–2.00 h, and 3.3% after midnight. After correlating all the measurements with sleep habits with statistical significance (P≤0.05), we arrived at the following findings. Children that have breakfast start their night sleep earlier than those who do not have breakfast. Children that consume more fruits, vegetables and dairy products per week tend to sleep earlier. Children who eat non-homemade food or consume fast-food sleep early in the night less often. Children that were prematurely born start their night sleep later. Children having less anxiety or stress tend to sleep earlier in the evening. Furthermore, it was found that the earlier a child goes to bed in the night the less tired it feels when it wakes up in the morning. Children who sleep late (after 22.00 h) were presented with higher BMI%, hip circumference, WC%, blood pressure and glucose and urea levels. Children who sleep after midnight have decreased platelets and plateletcrit.

Conclusions: In an effort to maintain body weight and to prevent the metabolic, immunological and haematological complications it is necessary not only to preserve an appropriate diet and exercise program but also to keep adequate sleep hours.

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