Infants and toddlers who slept less than 12 hours a day were twice as likely to become overweight by age 3 than children who slept longer, according to a new DACP-led study published in the April issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The study team, led by lead author Elsie Taveras, found that low levels of sleep combined with high levels of TV viewing were particularly associated with higher weight. Children who slept less than 12 hours per day and viewed two or more hours of television per day had a 16% chance of becoming overweight by age 3.
"Mounting research suggests that decreased sleep time may be more hazardous to our health than we imagined," says Dr. Taveras. "In this study, we show that those hazardous effects are true even for young infants - short sleep duration in the first two years of life is associated with higher risk of later obesity among children. Every parent knows children need a good night's sleep to be at their best. We are now learning that children (and adults) need a good night's sleep for better health."
The study team identified 915 mother-infant pairs from Project Viva, a long-term study of the effects of diet and other lifestyle factors on maternal and child health over time. Infant weight and measurements were taken at several in-person visits up to three years of age. Mothers reported how many hours their child slept per day on average at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postpartum. Parents were also asked to report the average number of hours their children watched television on weekdays and weekend days.
Although previous studies have shown a connection between sleep restriction and overweight in older children, adolescents, and adults, this the first study to examine the connection in very young children. Television viewing is also a known risk factor for childhood overweight. Overweight in young children is associated with later obesity and related conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, and type II diabetes.
"Getting enough sleep is becoming more and more difficult with TV, Internet, and video games in the rooms where children sleep," says Dr. Taveras. "Our findings suggest that parents may wish employ proven sleep hygiene techniques, such as removing TV from children's bedrooms, to improve sleep quality and perhaps sleep duration."
DACP researchers Matthew Gillman, Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, and Emily Oken also participated in this study.
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