Peer-reviewed article

Protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of sleep extension on body weight and learning in children (More2Sleep).

Rasmussen CH, Neesgaard ND, Skriver-Bayer M, Muushardt CS, Leedo-Townend E et al. · 11 May 2026

Summary

Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

This is a protocol for a randomized controlled trial testing whether extending sleep by about 45 minutes per night improves weight management and learning in school-aged children who currently sleep less than recommended amounts. The study will involve 142 children aged 6-12 years assigned to either a sleep extension group or a control group for 12 weeks. The research aims to establish whether increasing sleep duration can reduce obesity risk and improve cognitive function in children, with additional studies examining the biological mechanisms involved.

Key points

Short sleep duration in children is associated with increased obesity risk and impaired cognitive functions, but causal links remain unclear
The intervention aims to extend sleep by approximately 45 minutes per night by shifting bedtime 60-90 minutes earlier
Co-primary outcomes measure changes in BMI z-score and learning ability over 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes include body fat percentage, dietary intake, physical activity, brain activity patterns, and academic performance
The study includes substudy components using MRI to examine how sleep affects brain structure and function

Limitations

This is a protocol document, not results from a completed study, so it cannot provide evidence of what the intervention actually achieved. The document does not specify the country or geographic location where the trial is being conducted.

Abstract

Background Sleep is essential for children's health, cognitive development, academic performance, and overall well-being. Short sleep duration has been associated with several adverse outcomes, including an increased risk of obesity and impaired cognitive functions. Despite these associations, few studies have demonstrated causal links with these outcomes. Objective: To assess the effects of sleep extension on body weight regulation and learning ability in school-aged children with nocturnal sleep below recommendations for their age. Method: More2Sleep is a randomized, controlled, parallel trial involving 142 school-aged children (6-12 years old) who are "short-sleepers" (≤9 h/night). The children will be randomly assigned to a sleep extension group (by ∼45 min/night, achieved by going to bed 60-90 min earlier than usual; n = 71) or a control group (habitual sleep schedule; n = 71) guided by a family advisor for 12 weeks, followed by a 6-month inactive follow-up. All outcomes will be measured at baseline and 12 weeks. Selected outcomes will be reassessed at the 6-month follow-up to evaluate the sustainability of the intervention. Subgroups of children will undergo additional tests (substudy-I: metabolism and appetite; substudy-II: structural, functional, and diffusion MRI) to evaluate the mechanisms by which sleep may affect weight homeostasis and cognitive functions. Co-primary outcomes include the change in BMI z-score and learning ability from baseline to 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include percent body fat, dietary energy intake, hunger and satiety, physical activity, energy expenditure, brain activity patterns, and cognitive and academic performance. Discussion: This study has broad implications as it can potentially inform future sleep recommendations and treatment strategies to reduce overweight/obesity and improve children's metabolic health and learning abilities. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06341179, identifier NCT06341179.

Findings the Hub has extracted

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SurvivalDevelopment

Problem

Short sleep duration in school-aged children associated with increased obesity risk and impaired learning and cognitive function

Intervention: Sleep extension by approximately 45 minutes per night achieved by shifting bedtime 60-90 minutes earlier, guided by a family advisor over 12 weeks
Population: School-aged children aged 6-12 years with nocturnal sleep ≤9 hours per night (142 children: 71 intervention, 71 control)

Key finding

This is a protocol document; results are not yet available

Experimental