Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention in the School Setting on Sleep Quality and Quantity in Preschoolers: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Sleep is a physiological process that plays a fundamental role in systemic physiological brain function in many bodily systems. The scientific literature associates efficient and high-quality sleep with optimal cognitive, physical, and socioemotional development during the early years of life. Many preschoolers have sleep problems due to an increasingly digitized lifestyle with inadequate physical activity that does not meet the minimum daily activity recommendations. Given the influence of physical activity on sleep in other populations, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to determine whether a physical activity intervention influences the quality and duration of sleep in preschoolers. A search for randomized controlled trials was conducted in MEDLINE, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, PsycINFO, Cinahl, and SPORTdiscus databases using established inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a final outcome of 3 included studies. The analyzed studies did not show an influence of physical activity intervention on sleep duration but did on sleep quality. The lack of evidence in this population makes it impossible to draw a clear conclusion; therefore, it is essential to generate a research line to clearly understand what type of physical activity-based intervention can positively influence the quantity and quality of sleep in preschoolers.