Late Bedtimes for Teens May Cause Weight Gain and Health Problems

Do you have a late bedtime? Then you may be at risk of weight gain. Scientists have found that teens and adults who go to bed late on weeknights are more likely to gain weight than their peers who go to bed earlier in the evening.

In this latest study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which has tracked the influences and behaviors of U.S. teens since 1994. Focusing on three time periods, the researchers compared the bedtimes and BMI of teens from 1994 to 2009.

So what did they find? It turns out that many teens do not get the recommended nine hours of sleep a night. In addition, they report having trouble staying awake at school. The human circadian rhythm, which regulates physiological and metabolic function, typically shifts to a later sleep cycle at the onset of puberty.

The researchers also found that those who went to sleep later were more likely to have a higher BMI.

"These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood," said Lauren Asarnow, lead author of the new study, in a news release.

The findings reveal that when it comes to managing weight, sleep is important. More specifically, sleep can help those who are suffering from weight gain; it's crucial, especially, to make sure teens get the required amount of sleep so that they can reduce the likelihood that they will suffer issues with weight in the future.

The findings are published in the journal Sleep.

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