4-Week intervention combining kiwifruit consumption and small-sided soccer games improves sleep quality in children with overweight/obesity and pre-existing sleep problems

Background: Childhood obesity is a global public health concern associated with various health risks, including disrupted sleep patterns. Aim: This study investigated the effects of kiwifruit consumption and small-sided soccer games (SSSG) over 4 weeks on sleep patterns in overweight/obese children with sleep problems. Methods: Thirty-six participants, aged 8 to 12 years with a body mass index above the 85th percentile, were randomly assigned to one of three groups: SSSG only (n = 12), SSSG-kiwifruit (SSSG-K, n = 12), or control (CG, n = 12). Sleep patterns were monitor 1 week before, and during the first and last 2 weeks of the intervention. The CG group maintained their usual routines without structured physical activity. The SSSG and SSSG-K groups, both engaged in SSSG type of training two to three times per week, with the SSSG-K group also consuming on a daily basis two kiwifruits 1 hour before bedtime. Results: In the final 2 weeks, the SSSG group demonstrated significant improvements in sleep efficiency (p = 0.03), sleep latency (p < 0.001), and bedtime timing (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. The SSSG-K group also showed significant improvements in sleep efficiency, sleep latency, and total sleep time compared to baseline, and relative to CG, and SSSG groups during the 4 weeks (all p < 0.05). Additionally, SSSG-K participants had earlier bedtimes and increased time in bed compared to their baseline (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Combining kiwifruit consumption with SSSG exercise effectively enhances sleep patterns in overweight/obese children.