STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Okay, it's well known that children who exercise and eat healthy foods are less likely to be overweight. A new study in the journal Child Development finds that getting enough sleep is also key.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Researchers at Northwestern University tracked more than 2,000 children. Their families kept diaries of when the kids slept. The research found that kids who got more sleep tended to have a lower body mass index and were less likely to be overweight five years later. The explanation: kids who are tired are less likely to exercise. And not only that; when kids stay up later, they may have more time to eat.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Researchers found that even an extra hour of sleep cut the likelihood of being overweight.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: And that's Your Health for this morning.
It's well known that children who exercise and eat healthy foods are less likely to be overweight. A new study in the journal Child Development finds that getting enough sleep is also key.