Here’s another reason to make sure your kids get to bed on time - if they don’t get enough Zzzz’s, they may pay the price in pounds.
A new report from the University of Michigan finds every extra hour of sleep your third-grader gets a night reduces their risk of becoming obese in sixth grade by 40 percent. And the less sleep kids get, the more likely they are to be obese in sixth grade no matter what they weighed in third grade.
Researchers say if there was a magic number for third-graders it would be nine hours and 45 minutes of sleep - anything less than that led to weight gain. According to the National Sleep Foundation, kids in elementary school should get 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night.
The study analyzed sleep patterns and other data from a government survey of 785 children ages nine to 12. Results show 18-percent of them were overweight by the sixth grade.
The connection between lack of sleep and weight gain? Researchers say if children are well-rested they’re more likely to be energetic and want to play instead of lying around watching TV. Tired and cranky kids may also reach for food for comfort. And the study found not getting enough sleep can change carbohydrate metabolism and cause impaired glucose tolerance - both can affect weight.
You can find the study in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.
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