Improper sleep can lead to childhood obesity which in turn puts children at a greater risk of developing cancer later in life.

‘Improper sleep in children is a risk factor for obesity and this puts them at greater risk of developing obesity-related cancers in adulthood.’

For the study, researchers enrolled 120 children, with an average age of eight, whose mothers had participated in the Newborn Epigenetic Study both pre-birth and during early childhood. 




To track the sleep-wake cycle, the children wore accelerometers continuously for 24 hours a day for a period of at least five days.
They found that shorter sleep duration, measured in hours, was associated with a higher BMI z-score (body mass index adjusted for age and sex).
Each additional hour of sleep was associated with a .13 decrease in BMI z-score and with a 1.29 cm decrease in waist circumference.
More fragmented rest-activity rhythms and increased intradaily variability -- a measure of the frequency and extent of transitions between sleep and activity -- were also associated with greater waist circumferences.
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"Today, many children are not getting enough sleep. There are a number of distractions, such as screens in the bedroom, that contribute to interrupted, fragmented sleep. This, perpetuated over time, can be a risk factor for obesity," Fuemmeler said.
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Source-IANS