Lack Of Sleep Increases Infant’s Risk For Obesity, Study Shows

A recent study published in Archives and Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (April 2008) found that infants who slept less than 12 hours per day had a hinger risk for obesity or overweight in later years.

The study participants are parents of 915 children , ages six months to three years old who were surveyed on the number of hours their children slept each day. Researchers also examined the role of daily television viewing played in infant’s sleep patterns and weight.

The study revealed twelve percent of the short sleepers had become overweight or obese by age three, as compared to seven percent of those who got normal sleep. Also, more homes of daily television viewing were found to be associated with shorter sleep duration, and in turn, with a higher risk for overweight.