Infant obesity risks can be mitigated through good night's sleep, says study

Researchers have long suggested that getting enough sleep at night is important for staying healthy. However, only a few studies emphasise the need for adequate sleep during the first months of life.

A new study by researchers and collaborators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Massachusetts General Hospital shows that newborns who sleep longer and wake less overnight are less likely to be overweight during infancy.

Susan Redline, MD, co-author of the study and senior physician in the sleep department, said, “This study found that not only did night-time sleep get shorter, but more sleep awakenings increased the likelihood that an infant would become overweight at six months of age.”