Late bedtimes could lead to weight gain

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a study to investigate the association between late bedtime hours and BMI of teenagers. They found that majority who go to bed late, gained weight relatively over the period of five years.

Lauren Asarnow, of the University of California, Berkeley, said: “These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood”.

“Although sleep duration, screen time and exercise frequency did not attenuate the relationship between work day bedtime and BMI over time, fast food consumption was recognized as a significant partial mediator of the relationship between bedtimes and BMI longitudinally”, researchers concluded, via The Independent. Staying up late on weeknights may increase a teen’s risk of becoming overweight over time, a new study says. The BMI for a normal weight ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. They particularly focused on information gathered in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which has tracked information on US teenagers, including their influences and behaviors, since 1994. There is also lack of sleep epidemic and late bedtime preference among teenagers.

A team of researchers analyzed data on more than 3,300 teens and young adults recorded at different intervals over the course of about 15 years.

In addition to Asarnow, co-authors on the study are Allison Harvey at UC Berkeley and Eleanor McGlinchey at Columbia University. This affects their metabolism and how they burn calories. While they initially started with healthy weights, the study found that after 16 years, those who did not get enough sleep usually put on more weight.

The human circadian rhythm, or body clock, which regulates physiological and metabolic functions, typically shifts to a later sleep cycle at the onset of puberty.

Teens need a little more than nine hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Other studies, such as the Nurses’ Health Study, which followed roughly 60,000 women over a 16-year period, also addressed slumber patterns and the impact their rest habits played on their diet, weight and other aspects of their lives.