Influence of sleep timing behavior on weight status and activity patterns in adults with intellectual disabilities.
Early wake-up time links to more steps and lower weight in adults with ID, no matter how long they sleep.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mikulovic et al. (2014) asked adults with intellectual disabilities about their sleep and wake times.
They also measured height, weight, and daily steps.
The team wanted to see if early birds move more and weigh less than night owls.
What they found
Adults who woke up and went to bed early took more steps and had lower body weights.
Sleep length did not matter—timing did.
Early risers stayed active even when total sleep was short.
How this fits with other research
Tassé et al. (2013) saw the same link in teens with ID. Early sleep meant more play and less weight gain.
Laxton et al. (2026) later used motion watches and found these adults sit about eight hours each day. Their data extend the story: early sleep may fight this long sitting time.
Zuriff (2005) surveyed similar adults and also found high obesity, but did not ask about sleep. The new sleep-timing angle adds a fresh lever for programs.
Why it matters
You now have a simple screen: ask what time the person wakes up. If the answer is late, plan morning walks or breakfast clubs. No extra gear, no cost, and you tackle both weight and activity in one step.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The aim was to explore the relationship between sleep habits and overweight/obesity, physical activity and sedentary behaviors in French adults with intellectual disabilities. This observational study was conducted on 570 French adults with intellectual deficiency. Sleep habits were analyzed and related to anthropometric measures, physical activity and sedentary behaviors. The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Participants completed the questionnaire during an interview with the principal investigator. Sleep timing behavior was classified into 4 sleep patterns: Early-bed/Early-rise, Early-bed/Late-rise, Late-bed/Late-rise, and Late-bed/Early-rise. Of 570 eligible participants, 61 were excluded because of missing data on age, weight or height. The number of participants identified in each of the four sleep patterns was as follows: Early-bed/Early-rise, N = 119 (23%), Early-bed/Late-rise, N = 171 (34%), Late-bed/Early-rise, N = 100 (20%), Late-bed/Late-rise N = 119 (23%). Participants who wake up earlier are more active than those who rise late (p < 0.02). Participants who slept later spent more time in sedentary activities than those in the Early rise groups (p < 0.01). The number of obese/overweight participants was also higher in Late-bed/Late rise group. Sleep behavior was associated with overweight/obesity, physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults with intellectual deficiency, independently the sleep duration. Implementing intervention or promotion programs on sleep behaviors should be considered in order to meet the objectives of promoting health on anthropometric characteristics and increased physical activity among these disabled adults.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2014 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.008