Too Little Sleep for Babies and Toddlers Could Contribute to Obesity Later
Experts continue to investigate the causes of the childhood obesity crisis. On top of genes, bad diets, and a more sedentary lifestyle, a lack of sleep during infancy may up kids' chances of becoming overweight, too, says a new study.
After looking at the daily sleep habits of 950 babies and toddlers at ages 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, researchers then checked back in with the children at age 3.
What they found: The preschoolers who'd gotten less than 12 hours a day of sleep as babies and toddlers were twice as likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI, an estimate of body fat using height and weight measurements) and, therefore, be overweight or obese.
Of course, making sure tots eat well and get plenty of physical activity also has a major impact on their weight and overall health as they grow.
What This Means to You
Too-few ZZZs is often tied to a variety of problems for kids of all ages, such as:
- extremes in behavior
- irritability
- hyperactivity
- worsening of symptoms for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
And this study on babies' sleep habits isn't the first research to suggest a link between lack of sleep and kids' obesity — another recent study showed an association between overweight in preteens and sleep troubles during their earlier school-age years.
And a study funded by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control recently found that toddlers and preschoolers who didn't get enough sleep (according to their age and developmental stage) were twice as likely to get hurt accidentally.
Of course, you're the best judge of how much rest your kids need each day — some children may require more or less than others. Although there's a wide range of normal and every child is different, here's a general sleep-needs gauge for the infant and toddler years:
- newborns — at least 16 hours or more daily (sometimes up to 20), often for 3 to 4 hours at a time
- 2 to 4 months — about 15 hours each day, including two or three naps. By 2 months old, babies start to stay awake for longer periods and are more alert during the day and sleep longer at night. By 3 months old, most babies start "sleeping through the night" for at least 6-hour stretches.
- 6 to 9 months — about 14 hours a day, including two naps (usually one in the morning and one sometime after lunch)
- 12 to 15 months — about 13 to 14 hours daily, including one or two naps
- 18 months — about 13 to 14 hours daily, including one nap. Most toddlers this age give up their morning nap.
- 2 years — about 13 hours each day, including one nap
If babies or toddlers seem sleepy or overly fussy throughout the day or have a hard time settling down at night and/or getting up in the morning, here are some ways to help them get enough daily shuteye:
- Stick to a regular nap, bedtime, and wake-up schedule, adjusting as they grow and their sleep needs change.
- Help youngsters learn how to fall asleep on their own by putting infants to bed while groggy (but not yet asleep). And keep that habit up as they get older.
- Don't put kids down for naps too close to bedtime. Try making naps a little bit earlier, which may even mean waking kids a little earlier in the morning so that naps can begin sooner.
- Don't keep kids awake longer (or skip naps altogether) to help make them more tired at night — a tactic that usually just backfires. That's because well-rested kids are actually much quicker to settle down at night than overtired ones, who are often restless and "wired," unable to calm themselves down at bedtime, and more likely to wake through the night.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2008
Source: "Short Sleep Duration in Infancy and Risk of Childhood Overweight," Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, April 2008.
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