New research suggests that not getting enough sleep may doom adolescents and teens to obesity and poorer health as they enter adulthood.
Those who slept less than eight hours a night were more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers who do get enough sleep, the study found. Those shorter sleepers were also more likely to have a combination of other health concerns, including excess fat around the middle, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal blood fat and sugar levels.
“Our study shows that most teenagers do not get enough sleep, and this is connected with excess weight and characteristics that promote weight gain, potentially setting them up for future problems,” said study author Jesús Martínez Gómez. He is a researcher in training at the Cardiovascular Health and Imaging Laboratory at the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research, in Madrid….