Sleeping in Late: An Obesity Fighter for Kids?

Here's a good reason to quit trying to lug your snoozing kids out of bed early on weekends: Letting them sleep in late might help keep them from getting fat, according to a new study.

Researchers in Hong Kong found that children who got less sleep tended to be chunkier than children who slept more. Among children who slept less than eight hours a night, those who compensated for their weekday sleep deficit by sleeping late on weekends or holidays were significantly less likely to be overweight or obese.

The study, published in the November issue of Pediatrics, confirmed previous research linking sleep deficits to obesity in children. It also found that, on average, children slept significantly longer on weekends and holidays than on school days, and that overweight children tended to get less weekend/holiday sleep than their normal-weight peers.

The researchers didn't determine why obese and overweight children were less likely to sleep late on holidays or weekends, but noted that they tended to spend more time doing homework and watching TV than their normal-weight peers.

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