Study links childhood obesity to lack of sleep

BOSTON - Could your child's weight problem be caused by inadequate sleep? A new study says "yes."

Researchers looked at 1,229 teenagers in Spain and found those who got less than the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night were more likely to be overweight or obese and were at higher risk of metabolic syndrome. They also found that only a small minority of kids aged 12 to 16 actually got at least 8 hours of sleep at night.

Experts say parents can help by establishing regular bedtime routines, but they also say that teens are generally programmed to go to fall asleep later than younger kids and that perhaps delayed school start times could help improve their sleep quantity and quality.