Study: Children Who Sleep Less, Weigh More
Obesity in children has become a global concern. As documented in many studies, being overweight and obese increases a person’s chance of suffering from serious medical conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Health experts have linked the epidemic of childhood obesity to genetics and malnutrition as well as lack of physical activity. But a study involving children aged 7 years has also linked the lack of sleep to higher risk of becoming overweight and obese.
The research showed that children who slept for nine hours or less each night are very likely to become overweight compared to children who sleep more. Scientists believe that the lack of sleep can result to changes in hormone levels which may result to the children eating more. Also, children who are sleepy are less likely to participate in physical activities during playtime.
The cause for the lack of sleep varies. Watching too much television can certainly affect sleeping patterns and even having a younger sibling can rob your child of precious hours of sleep. In order to prevent your child becoming overweight or obese, here are some tips you can do to encourage sleep.
Establish Regular Sleeping Hours – sleep patterns can be established as early as their toddler years. You should make sure that your child understands that there is time for playing, eating and sleeping. During sleeping hours, you should make your child’s room conducive for sleep. Put away toys that can be distracting, play soft music and put on a night light. Of course, you should make sure that your child is clean, full and ready for bed. During the day, you should put your child down for a short nap. Your child’s body will easily adapt to the sleep hours you established and they can enjoy sufficient sleep.
Avoid Sugar before Bedtime – children who consume a large amount of sugar before going to bed will have problems sleeping. Their bodies will usually experience a sudden increase in calories and will try to burn them off. The metabolic activity will prevent your child from getting sleepy and it would be futile for you to try to get them to sleep. You should make sure that your child avoids eating any sugary treats before bedtime including cookies, candies and especially carbonated drinks. Sometimes, a glass of warm milk or even water can help.
Minimize TV Watching – studies have linked too much television watching to lack of sleep in children. If this is your problem, you will have to put your foot down and establish time for watching television. Better yet, you should not put any television in their room so your child will not be tempted. Instead of watching television, encourage your child to play outside. This will certainly make them physically tired and will likely help them sleep easier.
The lack of sleep can not only cause weight problems for your child. Their attention might also be affected and their poor performance in school will certainly reflect this.
