Early To Sleep, Early To Rise Lowers Obesity Risk For Kids: Study

We already know that kids who don't get enough sleep are at a higher risk of putting on extra weight -- but a new study suggests that the time you go to bed and wake up could also make a difference.

A study of 2,200 Australian children and teens ages 9 to 16 shows that kids who go to bed late and wake up late have a 1.5 times higher risk of being obese than kids who go to bed early and wake up early.

However, researchers did note that the kids who slept late got the same amount of sleep in total as the kids who slept early, meaning that "the timing of the sleep is even more important," said study researcher Carol Maher, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of South Australia.

"Our findings show that this sleeping pattern is associated with unfavorable activity patterns and health outcomes, and that the adolescents who don't follow this sleep pattern do better," Maher said in a statement.

The early-to-bed, early-to-risers went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier and woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier than their late-sleeping counterparts, as well as exercised 27 more minutes a day than the late risers, according to the SLEEP study. The late risers also played video games or watched TV for 48 more minutes a day than the early risers.

That's because mornings might be better for physical activity, while late nights are more conducive to activities like TV-watching, researchers said.

Bad sleep habits are also linked with a number of other health problems, studies show. For obese teens, not getting enough sleep is linked with an increased risk of diabetes. And another study shows that for elderly people, not getting enough deep sleep is linked with a higher risk of high blood pressure later on.

For help in figuring out your body's best bedtime, read HuffPost blogger Dr. Michael J. Breus's post here.

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Comments

[David4FreePress]

02:18 PM on 10/03/2011

They should have looked at the amount of light in the bedroom for this study, as well as the use of electronic display screens late at night. Light is thought to inhibit the production of melatonin in the pineal gland. This is probably why timing is thought to have an impact.

[Teresa Linton]

04:05 PM on 10/01/2011

cut the crap. i have always been late to bed late to rise, am 58 years old and weigh 105

[KiaOrana]

01:14 PM on 10/02/2011

Congratulations and good work! However, your n=1 study is meaningless. Do you understand statistics and probability?

[ThomasTrom]

10:44 AM on 10/03/2011

haha.

[Raven1970]

10:30 AM on 10/01/2011

Again, another article which draws the attention away from the causes of obesity, which is what you eat, how much of it you eat and how you balance it with excersize...this is just relative.

Here's more breaking news...New Study Shows Plus Sized Clothing Linked to Obesity

Let's stop studying the obvious and move that money over to educating the masses about the health risks of obesity, especially in children.

[eva07]

01:29 AM on 10/03/2011

Actually you are wrong..
"A study done in Virginia in 2005 showed that overweight and obese individuals slept less than subjects of normal weight. Another study in Wisconsin in 2004 showed that when sleeping less than 8 hours, the increase in BMI was proportional to the amount of decreased sleep."
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/sleepandgeneralhealth/a/fatandtired.htm
which of course doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat healthy and get enough exercise..but it is a factor in the obesity epidemic..

[Raven1970]

08:34 AM on 10/06/2011

So, you're saying that if I eat well, my diet is within the caloric scale it should be against my physical activity, that I will become obese anyway because I don't go to bed early?

These studies continue to put the cart before the horse...

[collectsrocks]

08:49 PM on 09/30/2011

Children who stay up late tend to munch and snack on junk after dinner right up til bed time. Little wonder they have weight issues. Increased junk calories with no time to burn off especially prior to bed is one problem.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:11 PM on 09/30/2011

Bedtime is not as strongly correlated with potential for obesity as the FB index:

FB = (weight of meals consumed in pounds multiplied by fifty) minus (number of minutes exercise taken during the day).

A negative FB index is good. Anything over 100 is really not good.

[eva07]

01:32 AM on 10/03/2011

Does it mean that the FB index is the same if you eat vegetables only or junk food?

[ThinkCreeps]

07:13 AM on 10/03/2011

To a good approximation. It's not an HB index.