Children less than 10 hours of sleep is more susceptible to obesity

Babies, toddlers and pre-school children who sleep for less than ten hours a night are more likely to be

overweight when they are older, research has found.



Experts believe a lack of sleep causes an imbalance in the hormones that control appetite, meaning those

who do not get enough sleep are more likely to feel hungry and crave calorie-rich snacks during the day.



Researchers from the Universities of Washington and California looked at the sleeping habits of almost

1,000 children under the age of five.


They found those who have less than ten hours' sleep were twice as likely to be overweight five years

later, with some even clinically obese.



The researchers concluded: "Insufficient night-time sleep among infants and pre-school-age children

appears to be a lasting risk factor for subsequent obesity. Sleep duration is a modifiable risk factor

with potentially important implications for obesity prevention and treatment."