Petermann-Rocha Fanny, Valera-Gran Desirée, Fernández-Pires Paula, Martens Dries S, Júlvez Jordi, Rodríguez-Dehli Cristina, Andiarena Ainara, Lozano Manuel, Fernández-Somoano Ana, Lertxundi Aitana, Llop Sabrina, Guxens Mònica, Nawrot Tim S, Navarrete-Muñoz Eva-María
Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
Institute of Cardiovascular Medical Sciences and Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Pediatr Res. 2023 Apr;93(5):1419-1424. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02255-w. Epub 2022 Aug 16.
Inadequate sleep duration has been suggested as a chronic stressor associated with changes in telomere length (TL). This study aimed to explore the association between sleep duration and TL using the INMA birth cohort study data.
A total of 1014 children were included in this study (cross-sectional: 686; longitudinal: 872). Sleep duration (h/day) was reported by caregivers at 4 years and classified into tertiles (7-10 h/day; >10-11 h/day; >11-14 h/day). Leucocyte TL at 4 and 7-9 years were measured using quantitative PCR methods. Multiple robust linear regression models, through log-level regression models, were used to report the % of difference among tertiles of sleep duration.
In comparison to children who slept between >10 and 11 h/day, those in the highest category (more than 11 h/day) had 8.5% (95% CI: 3.56-13.6) longer telomeres at 4 years. Longitudinal analysis showed no significant association between sleep duration at 4 years and TL at 7-9 years.
Children who slept more hours per day had longer TL at 4 years independently of a wide range of confounder factors. Environmental conditions, such as sleep duration, might have a major impact on TL during the first years of life.
Telomere length was longer in children with longer sleep duration (>11 h/day) independently of a wide range of confounder factors at age 4 and remained consistent by sex. Sleep routines are encouraged to promote positive child development, like the number of hours of sleep duration. Considering the complex biology of telomere length, future studies still need to elucidate which biological pathways might explain the association between sleep duration and telomere length.
睡眠时长不足被认为是一种与端粒长度（TL）变化相关的慢性应激源。本研究旨在利用INMA出生队列研究数据探讨睡眠时长与端粒长度之间的关联。
本研究共纳入1014名儿童（横断面研究：686名；纵向研究：872名）。4岁时由照料者报告睡眠时长（小时/天），并分为三个三分位数组（7 - 10小时/天；>10 - 11小时/天；>11 - 14小时/天）。采用定量PCR方法测量4岁以及7 - 9岁时的白细胞端粒长度。通过对数水平回归模型，使用多个稳健线性回归模型报告睡眠时长三分位数组之间差异的百分比。
与每天睡眠时长在>10至11小时之间的儿童相比，处于最高组（超过11小时/天）的儿童在4岁时端粒长8.5%（95%可信区间：3.56 - 13.6）。纵向分析显示，4岁时的睡眠时长与7 - 9岁时的端粒长度之间无显著关联。
每天睡眠时间较长的儿童在4岁时端粒较长，且不受多种混杂因素影响。睡眠时长等环境条件可能在生命早期对端粒长度产生重大影响。
睡眠时长较长（>11小时/天）的儿童在4岁时端粒长度较长，不受多种混杂因素影响，且按性别保持一致。鼓励建立睡眠常规以促进儿童积极发育，比如保证一定的睡眠时间。考虑到端粒长度的复杂生物学特性，未来研究仍需阐明哪些生物学途径可能解释睡眠时长与端粒长度之间的关联。
