Obesity Risk Higher In Children Who Sleep Less

If you're not getting enough sleep, you may end up eating more; this is especially true for children, according to recent findings published in the International Journal of Obesity.

A team of British researchers discovered that 5 year olds who got less than 11 hours of sleep at night were more responsive to food when compared to those who slept for longer periods. Furthermore, children who slept the amount of time typically also had a higher body mass index (BMI).

In this recent study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 1,000 5-year-olds, calculating nighttime sleep duration from parent reports regarding bed and wake time. Age-specific reference values were also taken into account

Findings revealed that food responsiveness did, indeed, vary based on the amount of sleep that kids had. For instance, those who received 11 hours of sleep a night had a food responsiveness of 2.53 on the scale while those who slept 11 to 12 hours a night had a food responsiveness of 2.36. Those who got at least 12 hours a night, on the other hand, had a food responsiveness of 2.35.

"In children who do not get enough sleep at night, limiting exposure to palatable food cues in the home might be helpful at preventing overconsumption,"Laura McDonald, lead author of the study and a researcher at University College London, said via Live Science. 

However, researchers did not find a link between sleep duration and whether children were still willing to eat when they were full. Regardless, the study further demonstrates an important finding: inadequate sleep can increase the risk of obesity.

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