The consequences of not getting a good night’s sleep are numerous, but one of the most important recent findings is how a lack of sleep can impact weight. Although there have been studies to show this relationship in adults, there have been few studies that show this objectively in minority children.

Experts at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine addressed this in a recent study published in BMC Public Health and found that in a group of low-income minority children, obese children slept less than children who fell within a normal weight range as indicated by their body mass index.

“Research has shown that people who do not get enough sleep tend to be overweight or obese, but there’s not much data on children,” said Dr. William Wong, professor of pediatrics at Baylor and first author of the study.

Wong and colleagues recruited children from inner city low-income families through 14 community centers in the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department. Children were asked to wear accelerometers, or activity monitors, for 24 hours a day over seven days. Their awake time and sleep periods were measured by the activity monitors.

Of the 483 Hispanic and black children between the ages of 9 and 12 years in the study, only 12 were meeting the 10 to 12 hours of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. The study also found that obese children slept less than children with a normal body mass index and that girls tended to sleep less than boys. The study indicated that black girls were getting the least amount of sleep.

“There are various social, cultural and biological factors that could be playing a role in these children not getting enough sleep,” said Dr. Nancy Butte, professor of pediatrics at Baylor and senior author of the study.
The National Sleep Foundation makes the following recommendations for sleep in children:
            Newborns (1 to 2 months old): 10.5 to 18 hours per day
            Infants (3 to 11 months old): 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night
            1 to 3 years old: 12 to 14 hours of sleep per night
            3 to 5 years old: 11 to 13 hours of sleep per night
            5 to 12 years old: 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night

The Foundation also offers the following tips for parents to help their children get adequate sleep:
           Establish and maintain a regular bedtime routine and sleep schedule
           Make the sleep environment cool, quiet and dark
           Do not keep a television or computer in the bedroom

The study was funded by the National Research Initiative of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant #2008-55215-18875 with support from the USDA/ARS .