Lack of sleep has been linked to Type 2 diabetes among children, according to a new report following up on past studies that tied too little sleep as a diabetes risk in adults.
The study, which was published in Tuesday's online version of the journal Pediatrics, suggested that children getting less than the current recommended 10.5 hours of sleep could be at higher risk for diabetes and other health problems, Medscape.com noted.
"The pressure of homework or extracurricular activities, the distraction of electronics, the mismatch between adolescents’ biological clocks and school schedules, and the noisy environments of many inner cities may be contributing factors for the relative sleeplessness of these children and adolescents," a Pediatrics editorial on the study noted.
Researchers analyzed the body measurements, blood sample results, and questionnaire data from 4,525 children of multi-ethnic descent, aged 9 to 10 years, in England, according to a statement from St. George's, University of London.
The study discovered that children who slept longer had lower body weight and lower levels of fat mass. Sleep duration also affected insulin, insulin resistance, and blood glucose in similar ways.
"These findings suggest increasing sleep duration could offer a simple approach to reducing levels of body fat and Type 2 diabetes risk from early life," Christopher G. Owen, who led the research at St. George's, University of London, said in the statement.
"Potential benefits associated with increased sleep in childhood may have implications for health in adulthood," Owen continued.
The Pediatrics' editorial said most pediatric studies investigating relationships between sleep and obesity have been strictly observational, so it did not give information to make inferences about causes.
Stacey Simon, a pediatric sleep psychologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado, told the Daily Mail that insufficient sleep for children might negatively affect appetites and ability to regulate blood sugar.
"When kids are going to bed very late or sleeping on an irregular schedule, they may also be skipping meals, eating at irregular times, or be less likely to exercise during the day," Simon, who was not involved in the study, told the Daily Mail.