Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Hypertension and Sleep in the Child

Abstract

Sleep loss produces various insults on human health. The current mini-review introduces recent evidence on the relationship among sleep loss, obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and sleep apnea with paying special attention to children. Ten relationships were explained; 1. Sleep loss induces obesity. 2. Obesity induces sleep apnea. 3. Obesity induces insulin resistance. 4. Obesity induces hypertension. 5. Sleep loss induces insulin resistance. 6. Sleep loss induces hypertension. 7. Sleep apnea with obesity induces insulin resistance. 8. Sleep apnea with obesity induces hypertension. 9. Sleep apnea without obesity induces insulin resistance. 10. Sleep apnea without obesity induces hypertension. To secure child health, the need for paying attention to sleep was emphasized.

Self-Reported Academic Performance and Lifestyle Habits of School Children in Japan

“…Sleep shortage is assumed to be associated with functional brain alteration. Insufficient sleep-induced obesity could result in the occurrence of metabolic syndrome, even in children [32]. Consistent with my hypothesis, the present study showed that self-reported AP is associated with BMI: the higher the BMI, the poorer the self-reported AP.…”

Emerging Pathomechanisms Involved in Obesity

“…Our results are consistent with recent studies that found a relation between reduced sleep (<9–11 hours per night) or poor quality (fragmentation) and increased BMI (5,19,20). The biological basis has been explained by an imbalance between levels of anorexigenic leptin and orexigenic ghrelin, with a resulting effect of increased appetite and energy intake.…”

Insufficient sleep syndrome: An unrecognized but important clinical entity

“…It could also occur when there is an increase in the desire for food, based on a decrease in the activity of appetite evaluation regions in the human frontal cortex and insular cortex during food desirability choices, combined with a converse amplification of activity within the amygdala . Insufficient sleep‐induced obesity, which often results in the occurrence of metabolic syndrome, could also be seen as an expression of brain dysfunction, although it should be noted that insufficient sleep also affects gene expression . For these reasons, it is important to ensure that children are receiving sufficient sleep in this 24/7 society.…”