Earlier Bedtimes for Preschoolers May decrease Obesity Risk Later On

If you are or have been the parent of a preschooler, you know bedtime can be a struggle.

A new study found that kids who went to bed after 9 p.m. were twice more likely to be obese later in life compared to kids who went to bed by 8 p.m.

10% of Preschoolers who had gone to bed at or before 8 p.m. were obese as teens. 16% of  preschoolers who went to bed between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. became obese as teens. 23% of those who had gone to bed after 9 p.m. became obese at age of 15.

One of the reasons of preschoolers becoming obese when reaching teenage is that not getting enough sleep can result in changes in the metabolism and hormones that control the appetite.

Kids who stay up late are more likely to be fussy and overtired, thus it makes it harder for them to sleep.

Being obese as a kid can be cause of many chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Going to bed by 8 p.m. is an important step parents can take to help their kids avoid becoming obese. The longer total sleep for children the more protective it is against obesity.

Repeating the same actions at the same time every night before going to bed and starting the preparation to sleep before 15 to 30 minutes of the actual bedtime routine is a good way to establish a bedtime or an earlier bedtime.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon