26 percent of sleepless children become overweight

November 19, 2008

Universite de Montreal researchers have found that 1 quarter of children who sleep fewer than 10 hours a night become overweight by age 6

Between the ages of six months and six years old, close to 90 percent of children have at least one sleep-related problem. Among the most common issues are night terrors, teeth-grinding and bed-wetting.

For the majority, it's simply a stage that passes. But at least 30 percent of children in this age group have difficulties sleeping six consecutive hours - either because they can't fall into slumber or they can't stay asleep. While the effects of lack of sleep on learning are well documented, researchers at the Université de Montréal have found sleepless children can become overweight and hyperactive.

Jacques Montplaisir, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and director of Sleep Disorders Center at Sacré-Coeur Hospital said that 26 percent of children that sleep fewer than 10 hours a night between two and half years and six years are overweight. The figure drops to 15 percent of those that sleep 10 hours and falls to 10 percent among those that sleep 11 hours.

The research team analyzed a sample of 1,138 children and found: 26 percent of kids who didn't sleep enough were overweight, 18.5 percent carried extra weight, while 7.4 percent were obese.

The relationship between sleep and weight could be explained by a change in the secretion of hormones that's brought on by lack of sleep. "When we sleep less, our stomach secretes more of the hormone that stimulates appetite," Montplaisir explains. "And we also produce less of the hormone whose function is to reduce the intake of food."

Naps don't compensate for nightly lack of sleep, Montplaisir pointed out. According to the same study, inadequate sleep could also lead to hyperactivity. Twenty-two percent of children who slept fewer than 10 hours at age two and a half suffered hyperactivity at six years old, which is twice the rate seen in those who slept 10 to 11 hours per night.

Is it possible that hyperactive children sleep less or that under-slept children become hyperactive? According to Montplaisir, the second scenario is correct. "In adults, inadequate sleep translates into sleepiness, but in children it creates excitement," he says.

Children were also given a cognitive performance test in which they had to copy a picture using blocks of two colours. Among the children who lacked sleep, 41 percent did poorly, whereas only 17 to 21 percent of children with 10 or 11 hours of sleep per night performed badly.

Problems experienced in childhood risk continuing into later years if nothing is done and Montplaisir suggests a new specialty in which sleep problems can be nipped in the bud.

University of Montreal

---

---

	Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition by Richard Ferber (Author) Does your child Have difficulty falling asleep? Wake in the middle of the night? Suffer sleep terrors, sleepwalking, or nighttime fears? Have difficulty waking for school or staying awake in class? Snore, wet the bed, or head bang? In the first major revision of his bestselling, groundbreaking classic since it was published twenty years ago, Dr. Richard Ferber, the nation's foremost authority on children's sleep problems, delivers safe, sound ideas for helping your child fall and stay asleep at night and perform well during the day. Incorporating new research, Dr. Ferber provides important basic information that all parents should know regarding the nature of sleep and the development of normal sleep and body rhythms throughout childhood. He discusses the causes of most sleep...
	Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Kids and Teens by Judith A. Owens (Author), Jodi A. Mindell (Author) Over 25 percent of all children—not just infants, but adolescents and high school students as well—experience various forms of sleep problems, from short-term difficulties with falling asleep and nightwalkings to long-term problems of sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Give Your Child a Good Night's Sleep is the first book to provide parents of older children with a comprehensive, accessible resource for understanding and solving their child's sleep problems. Written by two of the country's foremost experts in pediatric sleep problems, Owens and Mindell explain the developmental importance of sleep at all ages, cover all of the common sleep issues parents may encounter, and offer age-specific recommendations for each problem discussed. Give Your Child a Good Night's Sleep is the essential,...
	The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child's Sleep by Elizabeth Pantley (Author), Harvey Karp (Foreword) Guaranteed to help parents reclaim sweet dreams for their entire family New from the bestselling author of the classic baby sleep guide! Getting babies to sleep through the night is one thing; getting willful toddlers and energetic preschoolers to sleep is another problem altogether. Written to help sleep-deprived parents of children ages one to five, The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers offers loving solutions to help this active age-group get the rest they--and their parents--so desperately need. A follow-up to Elizabeth Pantley's megahit The No-Cry Sleep Solution, this breakthrough guide is written in Pantley's trademark gentle, child-centered style. Parents will discover a wellspring of positive approaches to help their children get to bed, stay in bed, and...
	The Post-Traumatic Insomnia Workbook: A Step-by-Step Program for Overcoming Sleep Problems After Trauma by Karin Elorriaga Thompson (Author), C. Laurel Franklin (Author) Difficult and traumatic life experiences affect our lives in unexpected ways and can even change the way we sleep. In fact, up to 75 percent of all people who have experienced abuse, violence, or traumatic incidents have sleeping problems after these events, even after all other trauma-related symptoms have diminished. If you've experienced these problems for yourself, The Post-Traumatic Insomnia Workbook is for you.This workbook is based in cognitive behavioral therapy, a powerful approach that has been proven to be more effective over the long run than sleeping pills. Included are easy tips and techniques you can start doing right away to help you sleep better. You'll learn a variety of relaxation and sleep-scheduling skills that will help you put an end to broken sleep, the need to...
	PPI may ease heartburn-related sleep problems.(Gastroenterology)(proton pump inhibitors): An article from: Internal Medicine News by Nicholas Mulcahy (Author) This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on August 15, 2004. The length of the article is 875 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: PPI may ease heartburn-related sleep problems.(Gastroenterology)(proton pump inhibitors) Author: Nicholas Mulcahy Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal) Date: August 15, 2004 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 37 Issue: 16 Page: 53(1) Distributed by Thomson...
	Elementary students' sleep habits and teacher observations of sleep-related problems.: An article from: Journal of School Health by Denise H. Amschler (Author), James F. McKenzie (Author) This digital document is an article from Journal of School Health, published by American School Health Association on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 6144 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. From the author: Sleep affects the health and well-being of children and plays a key role in preventing disease and injury, stability of mood, and ability to learn. Unfortunately, children often do not get adequate sleep on a regular basis. This study surveyed 199 fifth-grade students regarding their sleep habits using the Sleep Self-Report (SSR) instrument (child's form), the...
	Sleep problems, PTSD, obesity 'related, but to what degree?'.(PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News by Kate Johnson (Author) This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by International Medical News Group on December 1, 2010. The length of the article is 502 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Sleep problems, PTSD, obesity 'related, but to what degree?'.(PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE) Author: Kate Johnson Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal) Date: December 1, 2010 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 38 Issue: 12 Page: 46(1) Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage...
	Sleeping Through the Night, Revised Edition: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep by Jodi A. Mindell (Author) Right after "Is it a boy or a girl?" and "What's his/her name?," the next question people invariably ask new parents is "Are you getting any sleep?" Unfortunately, the answer is usually "Not much." In fact, studies show that approximately 25% of young children experience some type of sleep problem and, as any bleary-eyed parent will attest, it is one of the most difficult challenges of parenting. Drawing on her ten years of experience in the assessment and treatment of common sleep problems in children, Dr. Jodi A. Mindell now provides tips and techniques, the answers to commonly asked questions, and case studies and quotes from parents who have successfully solved their children's sleep problems. Unlike other books on the subject, Dr. Mindell also offers practical tips on bedtime,...
	The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood by Tracy Hogg (Author), Melinda Blau (Author) The third book in the bestselling Baby Whisperer series -- the most comprehensive, up-close, and personal to date! Thousands of parents have asked the Baby Whisperer to help them solve their problems. With this book you too can take advantage of the advice, insights, and parenting techniques from beloved child expert Tracy Hogg. "A problem is nothing more than a situation calling for a creative solution," she reminds us. "Ask the right questions and you'll come up with the right answers." Once you learn how to translate banguage, the "baby-language" your infant uses to communicate needs, feelings, and opinions, you can see your child for who he or she really is -- an understanding that will serve you well as your child blossoms into the toddler years. By helping you establish a...
	Fundamentals of Sleep Technology: Endorsed by the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) by Dr. Teofilo L Lee-Chiong MD (Editor), Teofilo Lee-Chiong (Editor) This text provides a thorough understanding of the use of polysomnography and other technologies in the evaluation and management of sleep disorders. Coverage includes in-depth reviews of the neurophysiology and cardiopulmonary aspects of sleep and the pathophysiology of sleep disorders. Detailed sections on polysomnography include recording procedures, identifying and scoring sleep stages and sleep-related events, and report generation. Chapters discuss therapeutic interventions including positive airway pressure, supplemental oxygen, surgical and pharmacologic treatments, and patient education. A section focuses on pediatric sleep disorders and polysomnography. Also included are chapters on establishing and managing a sleep center and accrediting a sleep program.