Could getting a good night’s sleep avoid putting on weight for children?

According to a new study, putting preschoolers in bed by 8 P.M.

Could reduce their chances of becoming overweight or obese (肥胖) later in life by half. Preschoolers are children around the age of 4 or 5.

The researchers from Ohio State University wrote their findings in the Journal of Pediatrics. They have found that young children who go to bed after 9 P.M. are twice as likely to be obese later in life. The lead author of the study is Sarah Anderson. She says that it’s very important for parents to create a bedtime routine for their children.

How was the research conducted? Researchers chose 977 children for it. These children are part of a larger project called the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The project follows healthy babies born in 1991 in ten U.S.cities. In order to have a clearer picture of the results, researchers then divided the children into three groups:

· those who went to bed by 8 P.M. or earlier

· those who went to bed between 8 P.M. and 9 P.M.

· those whose bedtimes were after 9 P.M.

When these children turned 15 years old, the researchers looked at the results of the study. Of those with the earliest bedtimes, only one out of ten was obese. Of those who went to bed between 8 and 9 at night. 16 percent of the children became obese. And out of those with the latest bedtimes, 23 percent of the children became obese.

“Having a usual bedtime routine can lower children’s risk of becoming overweight. Besides, as usual, early bedtime is also likely to have positive effects on behavior and social development,” said Professor Anderson.

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