From ScienceDaily:
A study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that teens who slept less than eight hours per weeknight ate higher proportions of fatty foods and snacks than adolescents who slept eight hours or more. The results suggest that short sleep duration may increase obesity risk by causing small changes in eating patterns that cumulatively alter energy balance, especially in girls.
My hope is that we won't just get stuck on the obesity issue here -- the extra weight is a symptom of unhealthy behaviors -- it is not an unhealthy behavior itself.
School is back in session and the sleep that some of our kids were getting in the summer while were went to work is a thing of the past. But how are we going to educate our kids on the life-long importance of sleep as a recovery time for our bodies (not just a breaktime of lost productivity)?
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