WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER: Teens Who Lack Sleep Eat Way Worse
Sleep is important for all people, but particularly for teens. If they don’t get it, it can really harm their health.
Brigham Young University researchers have found that, when teens suffer sleep-deficiency, it links them to many health issues, including increased risk of weight gain, and other cardiometabolic diseases. It’s because teens have worse dietary habits when they sleep less.
They specifically found that teens who slept six-and-a-half hours each night (short sleep) consumed more foods which were likely to spike blood sugar fast (like foods high in carbs and added sugar, or sugary drinks), compared to teens who slept nine-and-a-half hours each night (healthy sleep.) Ten hours is recommended.
Lead study author Dr. Kara Duraccio adds, “What’s interesting is that getting less sleep didn’t cause teens to eat more than their peers getting healthy sleep; both groups consumed roughly the same amounts of calories of food. But getting less sleep caused teens to eat more junk. We suspect that tired teens are looking for quick bursts of energy to keep them going until they can do to bed […].”
The scientists note, “Sleep health should be incorporated into all prevention and intervention modules for child obesity.”
Open your eyes to more, here: (EurekAlert!)
- A study finds that teens who sleep too little are more likely to reach for high-carb foods and sugary drinks to get quick hits of energy compared to teens who sleep a healthy amount
- This means teens that don’t sleep enough are at higher risk of developing obesity
