Lack of sleep and too much TV increases the risk of babies and toddlers becoming overweight, according to research by US scientists.
Researchers found that babies that slept for less than 12 hours or those who watched more than 2 hours of TV each day had a 16% chance of becoming overweight. This is in contrast with the 1% risk shown by well-slept and TV deprived babies.
The study was conducted by scientists from Harvard Medical School. The team monitored the size and weight of 915 infants over a three year period. Parents were also asked to keep a record of how much TV their infant watched during the study period.
Researchers suggested that lack of sleep may increase the risk of weight problems because it stimulated hormones affecting the appetite, causing the infants to eat more.
Lead researcher Elsie Taveras said: "Mounting research suggests that decreased sleep time may be more hazardous to our health than we imagined.
"We need to investigate this further. But our findings suggest that parents may wish to remove TVs from children's rooms and encourage better quality sleep."
Researchers found that babies that slept for less than 12 hours or those who watched more than 2 hours of TV each day had a 16% chance of becoming overweight. This is in contrast with the 1% risk shown by well-slept and TV deprived babies.
The study was conducted by scientists from Harvard Medical School. The team monitored the size and weight of 915 infants over a three year period. Parents were also asked to keep a record of how much TV their infant watched during the study period.
Researchers suggested that lack of sleep may increase the risk of weight problems because it stimulated hormones affecting the appetite, causing the infants to eat more.
Lead researcher Elsie Taveras said: "Mounting research suggests that decreased sleep time may be more hazardous to our health than we imagined.
"We need to investigate this further. But our findings suggest that parents may wish to remove TVs from children's rooms and encourage better quality sleep."
