Can children grow taller by sleeping more?

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"Children should go to bed early and sleep more so they can grow taller." Whether children can grow taller is a question that every parent is concerned about. In order to allow children to have time to sleep more and go to bed earlier, parents have put a lot of thought into this, singing, telling stories, and even helping their children with homework. So, can sleeping more and sleeping earlier really make children grow taller?

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Many parents always associate "sleep" with "growth", thinking that children need to sleep more to grow taller. In fact, there are many misunderstandings. Let's take a look.

1. The relationship between sleep and growth hormone

Growth hormone plays a key role in children's growth and development.

Many articles say that 9 pm and 5 am are the peak periods of growth hormone secretion, so if your baby wants to grow taller, it is best to fall asleep before 9 pm.

In fact, sleep is indeed the time when the most growth hormone is secreted in a day, but the peak period of growth hormone secretion is not a fixed time, but depends on the time of falling asleep and the quality of sleep. The peak period of growth hormone secretion will come in the deep sleep of the child 1 hour after falling asleep.

Therefore, as long as the child has sufficient high-quality sleep, it is okay even if the child goes to bed late.

In addition, an experimental study abroad showed that the reduced secretion of growth hormone caused by poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep time will be compensated by a compensatory mechanism during the day, so that the total amount of growth hormone secretion remains constant within 24 hours [1].

2. Will lack of sleep affect children’s height?

An article included in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) in the early years showed that changes in sleep time have no significant impact on children's development [2]. In 2007, a study on the sleep and physical growth of 305 children aged 1 to 10 years old did not observe any relationship between sleep time and physical growth in any age group [3].

A domestic study collected statistics on the height and weight of 1,200 school-age children from primary schools in Shaoguan City, and simultaneously surveyed their families about the children’s sleep habits using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). The results also showed that there was no correlation between height and sleep [4].

The most important factor determining a child’s height is genes, followed by nutrition and disease[5].

3. Sleep is still an extremely important part of children's growth

Even though there is no direct correlation between sleep duration and height, getting enough sleep is still one of the best ways to promote a healthy lifestyle for children, especially those in the critical early developmental stages. Children who do not get enough sleep may have attention, behavior and learning problems; they may also increase the risk of accidental injuries, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and depression.

4. How long do children need to sleep to stay healthy?

In 2016, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) released a consensus on optimal sleep duration for children and adolescents[6].

The optimal sleep time recommended in this consensus is:

(1) 4-12 months: 12-16 hours (including naps)

(2) 1-3 years old: 11-14 hours (including naps)

(3) 3-5 years old: 10-13 hours (including naps)

(4) 6-12 years old: 9-12 hours

(5) 13-18 years old: 8-10 hours

Finally, there is no doubt that sleep is very important, but when parents find that their children are growing slowly or are shorter, they should be more concerned about whether their children are getting enough nutrition and related diseases, rather than simply making their children grow taller by getting more sleep.

References:

[1]Brandenberger G , Weibel L . The 24-h growth hormone rhythm in men: sleep and circadian influences questioned[J]. Journal of Sleep Research, 2004, 13(3):251-255.

[2]Gulliford MC, Price CE, Rona RJ, et al. Sleep habits and height at ages 5 to 11.[J]. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1990, 65(1):119-122.

[3]Jenni OG, Molinari L, Caflisch JA, et al. Sleep duration from ages 1 to 10 years: Variability and stability in comparison with growth[J]. PEDIATRICS, 2007, 120(4):e769-76.

[4] Huang Cuimei, Wei Mingxiang, Wu Lina, et al. Study on the correlation between sleep habits and height and weight of school-age children in Shaoguan City [J]. Chinese Practical Medicine, 2017, 35

[5] Lai Xiaoqing, Xie Juan. Analysis of factors affecting height development of adolescents and children[J]. New West, 2010(6):241-241.

[6]New AASM Guideline on Optimal Sleep for Children.Medscape.June 14, 2016.

(Qiao Sen, Harbin Children's Hospital)