Lack of Sleep Doesn't Equal Weight Gain for Teens?

There has been plenty of buzz in the news lately regarding the link between lack of sleep and weight gain, but a new study disputes this notion. The study, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Victoria, Australia downplays the idea of getting extra sleep to keep off the pounds. In order to conduct the study the researchers used 133 obese individuals between the ages of 10 and 16 and examined their sleep over a week’s span.

Among these participants, it was found that more than half of them suffered from some type of sleep disorder, mostly problems with breathing. Although it was found that on average the participants did not get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, the researchers found no link between more severe obesity and shorter time asleep each night. The lead author of the study, Dr. Valerie Sung said, “while getting more sleep could have a number of health benefits for adolescents, it was unlikely to reduce their risk of obesity.”

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald