Good Sleep Is Good Health
If your kids get less than nine hours sleep each night, they're more likely to be overweight or obese, say researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand in the January issue of Sleep. The team periodically looked at the sleep patterns of 591 children over seven years starting from birth and determined that sleep-deprived kids have more than a 3 percent increase in average body fat compared to those who sleep more than nine hours. They also found that kids generally sleep fewer hours in the summer, on weekends, when bedtime was set as after 9 pm and if they had no younger siblings. To help your kids get a good night's sleep, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that you keep a consistent bedtime routine that includes time with Mom or Dad before bed.