Gadgetry & Caffeine a Dynamic Duo for Sleep Deprivation and, Consequently, Obesity in School-Aged Children

Ever wondered what your children do, when you send them to bed in the evening? According to the results of a study from the Department of Family and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, they probably drink Coke and watch TV or play video-games. Does not sound too bad? Well, Calamaro et al. found that children who

drank caffeinated beverages had 15 fewer minutes of sleep per night than did children who did not drink such beverages (b = –0.27, P = .002). Children with three technology items in their bedroom received 45 fewer minutes of sleep than did children without these items in their bedroom (b = –0.75, P = .010).

Still not impressed? What if I told you that these kids missed out on 15 to 60 minutes of what - to my mind - is the most healthiest, most anabolic and most lipolytic time of the day (sleep), and that the study provides evidence for the hypothesis that the immediate consequence of caffeine induced sleep deprivation is obesity? If you do now reconsider whether your 7 year old really needs his own TV-set and whether plain water ain't no viable alternative for Red Bull and Coca Cola, you've already taken the first step to make a change that could - in the years to come - save your children from turning from the "fat guy / girl" in elementary school into the fat and diabetic guy / girl at high school.

Melatonin, Magnesium and Zinc for a Healthy Night of High Quality Sleep

Sleeping disorders are very common in our hectic society and sleeping pills are among the no.1 drugs (ab-)used by the general public. At least in a very restricted group of subjects, the combination of melatonin, magnesium and zinc has now proven a very viable and certainly more natural alternative to the highly advertised "chemical maces" of the big pharma companies.

Figure 1: Effects of treatment of the primary end point. Mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (marker) are reported at baseline and at 8 weeks for the melatonin, magnesium, and zinc (left) and placebo (right) participants, together with their standard deviations (whiskers). (Figure 2 from Rondanelli. 2011)

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial set in along-term care facility in Pavia, Italy, researchers from the University of Pavia (Rondanelli. 2011) found a combination of 5 mg melatonin, 225 mg magnesium, and 11.25 mg zinc, mixed with 100 g of pear pulp taken 1 hour before bedtime to be an effective treatment for primary insomnia in elderly subjects:

The food supplement resulted in considerably better overall PSQI [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index] scores than placebo (difference between groups in change from baseline PSQI score=6.8; 95% confidence interval=5.4-8.3, P<.001). Moreover, the significant improvements in all four domains of the LSEQ [Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire] (ease of getting to sleep, P<.001; quality of sleep, P<.001; hangover on awakening from sleep, P=.005; alertness and behavioral integrity the following morning, P=.001), in SDQ [Short Insomnia Questionnaire] score (P<.001), in total sleep time (P<.001), and in SF-36 physical score (P=.006) suggest that treatment had a beneficial effect on the restorative value of sleep.

To summarize the results, the patients receiving the treatment for 8 weeks, slept longer, slept deeper, found it easier to get up in the morning and were overall more alert than those receiving placebo treatment. While it would certainly be necessary to verify these beneficial effects in younger subjects, it appears that the days of ZMA could well be over, with MMZ, i.e. Melatonin-Magnesium-Zinc being the new buzz-word of the industry.

Melatonin for Patients With Metabolic Syndrome!?

When was the last time your mother asked you, whether you would get enough sleep? Can't remember? Well, a recent study by scientists (Kozirog. 2010) from the Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology at the Medical University of Lodz suggests you better listen to your mothers words and get a decent amount of sleep, just to make sure you reap the benefits of melatonin.

In the study 30 patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) were treated with 5mg/day of melatonin 2hr before bedtime for 2 month. The results were quite remarkable:

Melatonin administered for 2 months significantly improved antioxidative defense (increase in CAT activity, decrease in TBARS level) and lipid profile (decrease in LDL-C), and lowered blood pressure.

It is not news that lack of sleep contributes to metabolic disorders. What is interesting, however, is that direct supplementation with melatonin, which is secreted at dawn and in the course of the night reverses existing symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. In view of the complex endocrine interactions and the various hormonal responses which depend on sufficient and regular sleep, my suggestion is however not (only) to supplement tons of melatonin, but just to get a good nights sleep everyday, or, in other words, to practice "sleep hygiene", instead.