Sufficient sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors

Abstract

Background: Insufficient sleep among adolescents is common and has adverse health and behavior consequences. Understanding associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with sleep duration could shed light on ways to promote sufficient sleep.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether physical activity and sedentary behaviors are associated with sufficient sleep (8 or more hours of sleep on an average school night) among U.S. high school students.

Methods: Data were from the 2009 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey and are representative of 9th-12th-grade students nationally (n=14,782). Associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with sufficient sleep were determined using logistic regression models controlling for confounders. Data were analyzed in October 2010.

Results: Students who engaged in ≥60 minutes of physical activity daily during the 7 days before the survey had higher odds of sufficient sleep than those who did not engage in ≥60 minutes on any day. There was no association between the number of days students were vigorously active ≥20 minutes and sufficient sleep. Compared to their respective referent groups of 0 hours on an average school day, students who watched TV ≥4 hours/day had higher odds of sufficient sleep and students who played video or computer games or used a computer for something that was not school work ≥2 hours/day had lower odds of sufficient sleep.

Conclusions: Daily physical activity for ≥60 minutes and limited computer use are associated with sufficient sleep among adolescents.