The length of sleep at night, can affect children's behavioral patterns and lead to changes in eating habits, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Children who slept for less than nine hours a night, were more likely to have behavioral problems and also to become overweight or obese, the study indicated.
"Short sleep duration was associated with a three-fold increased risk of the child being overweight or obese," said Ed Mitchell, the study's author in a release.
"Attention to sleep in childhood may be an important strategy to reduce the obesity epidemic."
The study examined the sleep patterns of 591 children using 'actigraphy' which is a method of charting movement in sleep without the use of invasive tools.
The children were assessed at birth, at one year, at 3½ and at seven years.
The researchers in New Zealand determined that the children spent on average 10.1 hours in bed per night.
This differed at different times of the week, in different seasons and in cases where the kids had brothers or sisters.
The researchers state that the recommended amount of sleep for children in preschool is 11-13 hours a night and 10-11 hours for children who are school age.
The study will be published in the January 1st issue of the Journal Sleep.
Source: CBC
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