LAUSR

Liquid consumption is essential for daily function and may also play a role in sleep regulation. The aim of this study was to assess 1) the association between the frequency of liquid consumption and sleep patterns; and 2) the different types of liquids on the association between liquid consumption and sleep. Participants included 597 children ages 9-13 years old from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. To assess child liquid intake, children self-reported the types of liquids consumed and the frequency these liquids were consumed. To assess sleep patterns, both parents and children reported sleep patterns using the parent-reported Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) and a child self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests analyses were performed to examine the differential effects of liquid consumption frequency and sleeping habits. Overall, a slight dose-dependent relationship between liquid consumption and sleep quality was observed. Less sleep problems and improved sleep quality were observed for water (bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety, night awakenings, parasomnias, sleep-disordered breathing, daytime sleepiness; p<0.05) and milk (parasomnias, sleep-disordered breathing, p<0.05) consumption. Caffeinated soda tended to increase sleep problems (sleep-disordered breathing, p<0.05). Sleep onset delay had a different pattern from that of other subscales, in which water increased sleep problems and caffeinated soda decreased sleep problems. There was some discrepancy between parent- and self-reported parasomnias, but sleep disordered breathing showed consistent patterns. Children who consumed more liquid, especially water and milk, were more likely to experience less sleep problems. However, caffeinated soda consumption may be linked to increased sleep problems. Findings suggest that school children may need consume more healthy liquids for better sleep patterns. Future randomized-controlled trial studies are needed to verify these findings. This study was funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institutes of Health (R01-ES-018858, K02-ES-019878, and K01-ES015877).