Association of cheese and yogurt intake with sleep duration in preschool-aged children: a 6-month prospective cohort study

Objective: To evaluate whether baseline cheese and yogurt intake is associated with sleep duration at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-ups among preschool-aged children. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. Parents completed baseline questionnaires on cheese and yogurt intake frequency, sleep duration and potential confounders, with sleep time followed up at 3 and 6 months. Sleep duration of < 10 h per day was defined as insufficient. Multivariable logistic regression and mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the association between the baseline cheese and yogurt intake and sleep duration at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results: = 0.007), and cheese intake ≥ 7 servings/week showed a reduced prevalence of insufficient sleep (adjusted OR = 0.001, 99.2% CI: 0.000-0.168). Mixed-effects models confirmed a significant interaction between high cheese intake and 6-month follow-up (OR = 0.217, 95% CI: 0.052-0.917). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that frequent cheese intake may reduce the risk of insufficient sleep in preschool-aged children, whereas yogurt shows no comparable association. These differential results underscore the need for product-specific analyses. Despite limitations in sample size and measurement, the study adds to evidence linking diet, microbiota, and sleep. Further research should clarify underlying mechanisms and guide actionable, child-appropriate dietary recommendations.