Childhood Insomnia Can Lead to Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels in Adulthood
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Researchers found that childhood insomnia have been associated with unhealthy lipid profile results, viewed as elevated levels of LDL.
Sleep has foremost benefits for health, wellbeing and cognitive efficiency.
In her doctoral dissertation, MA Liisa Kuula-Paavola from the University of Helsinki investigated ordinary, non-limited sleep and its effects over a growth span from middle childhood to early adulthood.
Longitudinal analyses revealed that childhood insomnia (a shorter sleep length and irregular sleep during childhood) have been associated with unhealthy lipid profile results, viewed as elevated levels of LDL or bad cholesterol and triglycerides and decreased levels of HDL or good cholesterol in early formative childhood years, especially among girls.
These associations were done while also taking into consideration body mass index and physical activity levels.
Sleep and Body Functioning
The dissertation’s reviews related to cognitive functioning additionally indicated that sleep length is also related to general body functioning, such as the capability to control one’s behavior.
Throughout early life, especially among boys, a shorter sleep period was associated with poorer performance in tests that evaluate body and mental health functioning.
The investigator noted that she observed identical results in young adults, but additionally discovered that later sleep timing and irregular sleep have been associated with weaker trait-like executive functioning, such as self-control and behavioral conduct.
She additionally analyzed the sleep patterns of distinct circadian type phenotypes longitudinally and observed that these adolescents who were always awake differed from the others with regards to sleep timing even at the age of 8.
This suggests long-term stability in sleep patterns.
Sleep and Health
Based on these findings, objectively measured sleep and its timing have longitudinal pathways which are related to future health and well being and may just act as risk factors or as starting reasons for various health-associated effects.
According to the investigator, it is likely that sleep, self-control, and health behaviors are intertwined throughout growth and development.
The study was conducted as a collaboration with researchers from the University of Helsinki’s Sleep and Brain study group and Developmental Psychology research team.