Babies and toddlers who sleep less than 12 hours a day are at a greater risk for being overweight in pre-school concludes a new Harvard study that also stumbled upon evidence that the link between obesity and lack of sleep can even affect very young children.
These infants are sleeping less and not growing to the healthy height and weight they need to be by early childhood because they are being allowed to watch television long into the night and sleep at odd times throughout the day under improper parent supervision.
The children who slept the least and watched the most television had the greatest chance of becoming obese. "The two (behaviors) are acting independently. In combination, they are particularly risky," said the study's lead author, Dr. Elsie Taveras of Harvard Medical School.
They found 586 of the children slept an average of 12 or more hours a day, which 7 percent were obese at age 3 and 329 children who slept less and watched two or more hours of television, which 17 percent were obese by the time they were 3.
So the moral of the story (findings) is a shout out to parents that want healthy, vibrant pre-schoolers. Put your kids in bed by 8 or 9 p.m. and have the television off when the sun goes down.
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