Less Sleep Can Make Children Fatter!

It seems that Sleep can make children fatter!

A team of researchers in New Zealand set out to investigate whether reduced sleep is associated with differences in body composition and the risk of becoming overweight in young children. The study was reported in the British Medical Journal.

They found that on average, children aged three to five sleep 11 hours a night, but for every hour they sleep less than that between the ages of three and five, they will be carrying an extra pound and a half of fat by their seventh birthday.
The results show that young children who sleep less are at a significantly increased risk of having a higher BMI by age 7, even after controlling for other risk factors that have been implicated in body weight gain.

According to the researchers, the reduced sleep may increase their food intake and may also make them exercise less.

So it is important for parents to ensure that growing children get enough sleep and adequate exercise.

Exercise in Children Promotes Sleep

It's common sense and everyone knows that children who run around and exercise more sleep better. However this has now been quantified.

Experts from Monash University in Melbourne and the University of Auckland looked at 519 seven-year-olds and found that for every hour they sit, they need three minutes longer to fall asleep.

Interestingly, it did not matter what the child did whilst they sat. TV was no more detrimental than reading a book quietly, although children who were very physically active during the day tended to take less time to fall asleep

Most of the children fell asleep within 45 minutes, and the average amount of time it took to fall asleep was 26 minutes.
Those who fell asleep faster also tended to sleep for longer.

This study emphasises yet again, the importance of physical activity for children, not only for sleep, but also for overall fitness, heart health and obesity control.