Lack of Sleep May Contribute to Childhood Obesity

Lack of sleep can contribute to many health issues for adults as well as children.

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers in New Zealand (The Family Lifestyle, Activity, Movement and Eating –FLAME) set out to determine if lack of sleep affected children’s weight.

They studied 244 children, three to seven years of age. Every six months their body mass index was measured. Other factors were taken into consideration: birth weight, mother’s education, income, BMI, smoking during pregnancy and ethnicity were also recorded because of known links with BMI in children.

The average length of sleep was 11 hours per day for ages three, four and five.

The findings concluded that additional hours of sleep between ages three to five resulted in less chances of obesity at age seven.

The researchers suggest that, reduced sleep may increase dietary intake and may also influence energy expenditure, leading to reduced exercise.

Good sleep habits not only make for less cranky kids but lessens the risk of an overweight child.