Kids Who Sleep Less May Weigh More

Children who don’t get enough sleep may also have a higher risk of being overweight, a new study suggests. The study included more than 1,000 children. Mothers were asked how much sleep their kids usually got. They were asked when the children were 6 months old, 1 year old and then every year. Researchers gave each child a sleep score. About 4% of the children did not get enough sleep during most of the study (scores 1 to 4). About 40% got enough sleep on a regular basis (scores 12 or 13). The others got enough sleep only some of the time. Kids who were the most sleep-deprived were about 2½ times as likely to be obese as those who consistently got enough sleep. They also scored higher on other measurements of body fat. The journal Pediatrics published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it May 19.