If you have not already done so, please read Blog Posts 1 through 5 that describe how sleep is important and beneficial. I will post specific information for parents and children based on my book, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” Please do not be put off by my book’s length. This is a reference book. Read only the topic of interest to you.
A 2024 study of over 3, 000 Chinese kindergarten children, whose average age was about 5 years-old, examined sleep and weight status. Based on their bedtimes, they created 3 groups:
In Groups 1. and 2., the later the bedtime, the shorter the sleep duration, the more likely the child was overweight or obese.
In Group 3, the later the bedtime, the more likely the child was overweight or obese independent of sleep duration.
An early bedtime helps prevent obesity in older children (Blog Post 232C) and adults even if there is no increase in sleep duration. Other studies (Blog Post 225) suggest that an early bedtime, independent of sleep duration, helps with academic success.
