路透社伦敦19日报道：周三出版的一份针对现有研究的综述表明，目前存在一种趋势――即儿童和青少年如果由于睡得比较晚从而使睡眠时间减少的话，很有可能导致肥胖。
布里斯托大学的研究者Shahad Taheri 认为象电视、电脑、手机以及其它一些小玩意应该从孩子们的卧室当中清理出去，这样才能保证他们有好的睡眠。
Taheri 在发表在《儿童期病例记录》杂志的文章提出有越来越多的证据表明如果儿童睡眠时间减少，结果会引起很多代谢变化从而导致肥胖、胰岛素抵抗、糖尿病以及心脏病等。
去年发表的一项在英国全国范围内进行的研究表明，30个月的幼儿如果得不到充足的睡眠，当他们七岁时就会变成胖墩。由此可以证实睡眠减少会影响到体内调节食欲与能量消耗的机制发生改变。 睡眠不足对于十几岁的少年来说也是个问题，在青春期快速发育阶段需要更充足的睡眠。
在2004年进行的一项研究表明，每天仅睡五个小时的成年人与睡八小时者相比，体内脑肠肽水平上升大约15％，脑肠肽的分泌意味着饥饿感的增强。再者睡眠不足会使体内瘦素分泌减少，也就意味着动用脂肪供能的能力下降。并且睡眠不足的孩子经常会感觉疲倦，不太喜欢参加体育活动，这相应会使得体重增加。另一方面由于体育活动减少，又会反过来影响到他们的睡眠质量。
专家认为：睡眠不足不是肥胖青少年人数剧增的唯一原因，但它的影响不容忽视，充足的睡眠对于机体能量代谢平衡的调节很有好处。他指出儿童应该养成良好的作息习惯，在睡前不要吃太多东西，卧室要保持安静，光线柔和，温度适宜。在周末可以适当延长睡眠时间，但不宜超过2到3个小时，过长时间的睡眠会破坏机体正常的生物节律。
Obesity may be linked to shorter sleeping times
18 Oct 2006 23:01:08 GMT
Source: Reuters
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A trend for children and adolescents to stay up later and sleep less may be linked to rising levels of obesity, according to a review of existing research published on Thursday.
Bristol University researcher Shahad Taheri said televisions, computers, mobile phones and other gadgets should be banned from children's bedrooms to enable them to get a good night's sleep.
Writing in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, Taheri said there was increasing evidence that shortened sleeping times result in metabolic changes that may contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease.
A UK study published last year indicated that insufficient sleep in infants aged 30 months was associated with obesity by the time they reached the age of seven.
Taheri said this suggested that sleep loss at a young age may alter the body's mechanisms that regulate appetite and energy expenditure.
Limited sleep is also a problem for teenagers, whose need for sleep increases during the critical years of adolescent development.
Other research, published by Taheri in 2004, found that adults sleeping only five hours had almost 15 percent higher levels of ghrelin -- a hormone released by the stomach to signal hunger -- than those managing eight hours.
The same group of short sleepers also had more than 15 percent less Leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue when energy levels are low.
Children waking up tired from not enough sleep were also likely to take less physical exercise, adding to the likelihood of putting on weight, Taheri said.
They would miss the beneficial effects of physical activity, not least its tendency to lead to better sleep.
"Sleep is probably not the only answer to the obesity pandemic," Taheri said.
"But its effect should be taken seriously, as even small changes in energy balance are beneficial."
He said children should observe regular sleeping and waking times, avoid large meals at bedtimes and have a quiet dark bedroom that was neither too hot nor cold.
Adolescents should be allowed to sleep in longer at weekends, but no more than two to three hours beyond normal waking time, as this disrupts the body's internal clock.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18932157.htm
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