Sleep and Obesity in Young Children
December 16, 2010 No CommentsA study published in the November 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics shows that more sleep for youngsters may lower their risk of obesity significantly.
The researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child’s chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent.
Dr. Julie Lumeng of the University of Michigan, who led the research, said that “the less sleep they got, the more likely the children were to be obese in sixth grade, no matter what the child’s weight was in third grade”.
If there was a magic number for the third-graders, it was 9 hours, 45 minutes of sleep. Sleeping more than 9 hours, 45 minutes lowered the risk of obesity significantly. Of the children who slept 10 to 12 hours a day, only 12 percent were obese by sixth grade. If you think about it, the kids can’t eat while they’re sleeping – and – if well rested, they are less likely to be stressed or exhausted which is when many kids turn to unhealthy “comfort foods” (candy, sodas, burgers, fries, chips, energy drinks, etc).
If your children consume these all-to-common energy drinks, we encourage you to read the labels – the levels of caffeine are extremely high. In place of these unhealthy energy drinks, consider offering Farmacy Pro Power which is an all natural, delicious and very healthy energy drink. One serving is the equivalent of 8 servings of vegetables – that’s where the real energy comes from. But all in all, the study gives parents yet another reason to encourage regular bedtimes, restrict caffeine and remove the TV from the bedroom.
Experts offer these ideas for promoting good sleep habits in elementary school children:
WAKE TIME: The biological clock resets in the morning, so it’s just as important to have a consistent wake-up time as a consistent bedtime. Avoid over scheduling that interferes with sleep time.
WEEKENDS: Avoid letting children sleep extremely late on weekends, but be flexible enough to allow a little fun.
TEMPERATURE: A cool bedroom is better.
CAFFEINE: Soda or chocolate at lunch may keep some children awake at night, so limit or rule out caffeine.
ELECTRONICS: Keep TVs, cell phones, computer games and other electronics out of the bedroom.
BEDTIME ROUTINE: Encourage reading, chatting about the day or other soothing activities in the 30 minutes before bed.
After a good night’s sleep, there’s no better way for your kids to start the day than with convenient Wholefood Farmacy foods. The kids love it when you add Phi Plus or Fruitalicious Plus to their oat meal, cream of wheat, or quality whole grain breakfast cereal. It adds new dimensions of taste and nutrition to these healthy, whole grain types of breakfast foods.
Fruitalicious Plus
Fruitalicious Plus is a sweet, fruity, crunchy alternative to traditional snack foods. It is a combination of low-pressure and sun-dried ingredients: Honey Granola, Apples, Raisins, Banana, Strawberry, Mango, Raspberry, Dates, Coconut, Currants, Figs, Cranberry, & Red Flame Raisins. This raw fruit snack packs a powerful fruity punch. Fruitalicious Plus is a tasty immune boosting treat that is also a great source of dietary fiber & slow sugars.
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