Children's Sleeping Habits Affect Weight
WLR dietitian reports on the link between
children's sleeping habits and their weight, and gives her
tips to help your kids get a good night's sleep.
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Sleep Off the Pounds
By WLR Dietitian
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If your child is piling on the pounds, you might want to
check they’re getting enough sleep. Dr Shahrad Taheri from the
University of Bristol reported in this month’s journal,
Archives of Diseases of Childhood that there is now a wealth
of research to support the idea that a lack of sleep causes
obesity in children.
As well as disturbing metabolism, which can contribute to
obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, he says that a lack
of zzz’s alters hormones that affect appetite, causing us to
overeat.
The data suggests that just two or three nights
without enough sleep can have this worrying effect.
It was
even shown that there was an association between insufficient
sleep at age two and a half and obesity at the age of seven.
Suggesting that sleep at this age could play a part in
programming the area of the brain regulating appetite and
energy expenditure.
Other hormones, such as insulin, cortisol (a stress
hormone) and growth hormone are also disturbed by too little
sleep, potentially increasing the desire for high calorie
foods. Grehlin, a hormone released by the stomach to signal
hunger, was 15% higher in those who had only five hours sleep.
Plus, suffering with fatigue means that children may be too
tired to exercise or be
active during the day. As a direct
result there is less energy expenditure, but also children
taking part in less activity are less likely to have a good
night's sleep.
Dr Taheri realises that getting more sleep is unlikely to
be the only solution to the obesity problem striking the
nations children, but it shouldn’t be dismissed. ‘Sleep is
probably not the only answer to the obesity pandemic, but its
effect should be taken seriously, as even small changes in
energy balance are beneficial’ he says.
WLR says:
As well as the points raised in this study, going to bed
late means children have more time to snack on their favourite
foods and this can result in an excess of calories, which
leads to weight gain. It can be notoriously difficult to get
children and teenagers to bed earlier; here are some
tips you can use to help your kids get a good night's sleep.
Tips for Getting Children to Sleep
- Agree a bedtime and stick to it, giving your child a
reminder around 15 minutes beforehand – so it doesn’t come
as a surprise.
- Have some wind down time. Make the hour before bedtime
relaxing and calm.
- Run them a nice warm bath.
- Read a story in a slow, low voice just before going off
to sleep.
- Give your child a warm milky drink.
- Ensure your child has some exercise throughout the day.
- Avoid big meals before bedtime.
- Make sure the bedroom is cool, dark and quiet.
- Don’t allow watching TV or playing video games etc
within an hour of bedtime.
Some of these tips have been taken from ‘Sleep
For Kids’, part of the National Sleep Foundation. For more
information visit
www.sleepfoundation.org |
