Children who sleep longer on weekends are less likely to develop obesity. Researchers from the University of Kentucky and the University of Chicago placed a special device on the wrist of 308 children aged 4 to 10 years and tracked the characteristics of their sleep for a week.

Prior to the study, children were classified as normal, overweight or obese depending on their body weight, writes The Epoch Times.

The length of sleep of obese children was shorter and more different on the weekends compared to school days, and they tended to less catch up with sleep time than other children.

Children with overweight had a mixed pattern of sleep.

The study revealed the relationship between children who slept at night from 8 to 10 hours and obese. Those who slept so much had from 3.45 to 4.9 times the likelihood of developing obesity compared to children who slept more.

The study recommends that children sleep at night from 9.5 to 10 hours.

Dr. David Gozal, head of the pediatrics department at the Children's Hospital of the University of Chicago, told HealthDay News: "As the amount of sleep decreases and the regularity of sleep is disturbed, the risk of obesity increases".

He noted that in other studies, scientists have found that those who sleep less have elevated blood sugar and like to eat sweet and fatty foods. He added that lack of sleep creates difficulties for a person when losing excess weight.

"All this suggests that sleep is an important regulator of metabolism," Gozal told HealthDay.. "If we do not get enough sleep, then we will probably pay a large price and risk getting cardiovascular and all other metabolic complications".

Gozal added that the society has developed a more intense and intense pace of life, which leads to a reduction in sleep among children. Other factors, such as television and video games, contribute to lack of sleep.

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