Sleep Keeps Kids Slim

Ivanhoe Newswire
Wednesday, February 7, 2007; 12:00 AM

By Betsy Lievense, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In a country where childhood obesity has reached epic proportions, finding new ways to help kids fight fat is more important than ever. A recent study reveals children who get 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night weigh less than their sleep-deprived counterparts and have an easier time "battling the bulge" as young adults.

Researchers at Northwestern University report 3- to 12-year-old children who get 11 or more hours of sleep each night have lower body mass index (BMI) measures than children who sleep less than 11 hours and go to bed late. In fact, children who sleep more than 11 hours per night are 17.1-percent less likely to be overweight as young adults than those who sleep fewer than 11 hours per night. Children who get fewer than eight hours of sleep each night have higher BMIs and stand a greater chance of being overweight as young adults than children who get more than eight hours of sleep. Night owls can still stave off obesity if they wake up one hour later each morning, a measure that decreases their chances of becoming overweight by 5.8 percent.

Researchers studied 2,281 children and recorded the number of hours they slept, what time they went to bed, and what time they woke up. Study authors followed up with the children when they were between 8 and 17 years old. In addition to weight gain, shorter sleep cycles were also associated with behavioral problems, decreased mood, and poor school performance. Kids who got more sleep between ages 3 and 12 were more likely to maintain a healthy weight as young adults.

Emily Snell, a graduate student and lead researcher for the study conducted at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., told Ivanhoe sleep affects weight for several reasons. "If you don't get enough sleep, you're more tired during the day, and you have less energy for physical activity," she said. In addition to giving children the energy they need to perform everyday activities, sleep influences hormones that regulate appetite and satiety. Snell also pointed out children have more opportunities to eat the longer they are awake.