A recent study, published in the journal Journal SLEEP Babies who sleep longer during the night with fewer interruptions may be less likely to gain weight during the first six months of life, while research has shown a link between infant sleep and weight, the results suggesting that newborns can reap some of the same health benefits that Others get it from consistent, good sleep, according to the official website of the US National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health .
Dr. Marishka K. Brown, director of the National Center for American Research, said: “What is particularly interesting in this research is the association of obesity with sleep, which we see appears in childhood and may be predictive of future health outcomes, and Brown noted that multiple studies have shown links between Good sleep and improved health for children, including reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes, while supporting development, learning and behavior.
In the current study, researchers observed 298 newborns and found that for each hour of increase in nighttime sleep, measured between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., babies were 26% less likely to be overweight, and similarly, with each decrease in nighttime awakenings, they were less 16% more likely to be overweight.
To conduct the study, the researchers partnered with mothers who gave birth to a baby at Massachusetts General Hospital between 2016 and 2018. Unlike other infant sleep studies, which relied on parental reports, the researchers used ankle movement clocks to objectively track nighttime movement, capturing three nights of data. At the first and six months.
Parents also kept infant sleep diaries and brainstormed about activities that could affect each infant’s sleep pattern or weight, such as how often they nursed or whether the infant had solid food before he was four months old..
The idea is based on researching the association between infant sleep patterns and weight, said Susan Redline, M.D., an author of the study, and according to the interrupted sleep schedules common in early childhood to a longer sleep pattern throughout the night, they found that children who progressed to a steady night’s sleep – 8.8 hours per day. The average at the end of the study—and those who had fewer nighttime awakenings—were less likely to be overweight in those first six months.
After the first month, researchers found that 30 of the infants (10.3% of the study sample) were overweight, although most “21” reached normal weight at six months, while 26 infants (8.8%) were overweight. Weight, including 15 who were not previously overweight.
Researchers believe that some factors could explain these findings. Some parents may soothe babies who have trouble sleeping by providing them with milk or introducing them to solid foods as well. If the infant does not get enough quality sleep at night, they may feel hungry. And fatigue the next day which leads to more eating and less movement, which in turn contributes to the baby’s weight gain.
Evidence to date suggests that adequate and consistent sleep can be powerful tools in reducing the risk of obesity early in life, and the study author stressed the importance of healthy sleep not only for adults, but for people of all ages.
She said parents should consult with pediatricians about best practices to promote healthy sleep, which could include maintaining consistent sleep schedules, providing a dark, quiet space to sleep, and finding the most appropriate ways to respond to waking infants.