Newborns who sleep better are less likely to be overweight, study finds

Newborns who sleep better and wake up less often during the night are less likely to be overweight during infancy, suggests a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“We know that infant weight gain is a risk factor for weight gain later in life, so it was important for us to understand whether sleep in infancy can also be a risk factor for weight gain. weight during infancy, and therefore weight gain throughout life. Study co-author Dr. Susan Redline, chief medical officer of the Sleep and Circadian Disorders Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told the Herald.

Redline and colleagues observed 298 newborns born at Massachusetts General Hospital between 2016 and 2018. They monitored their sleep patterns using devices that measure activity and rest over multiple days, and parents have also kept sleep diaries.

The researchers measured the height, weight and body mass index of the infants, and the infants were classified as overweight if they were in or above the 95th percentile.

“We found that not only shorter nighttime sleep, but more awakenings from sleep were associated with a higher likelihood of infants becoming overweight in the first six months of life,” Redline said.

One more hour of sleep for newborns correlates with a 26% decrease in their risk of overweight, according to the study published on Friday in the newspaper, Sleep.

Redline said it’s possible that better sleep is linked to a healthier weight in newborns, as more sleep promotes routine feeding practices that prevent overeating. Many parents will immediately try to feed their babies if they wake up crying, but they might not be hungry.

Being overweight in infancy can predispose children to be overweight or obese later in life, which could increase their risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, according to Redline, further emphasizing the need for good habits. of sleep for newborns.

She offered parents tips for newborn sleep, such as establishing a consistent sleep schedule, making sure the baby’s room is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature, and allowing the baby to calm down. not responding to every wake-up call.

Redline said focusing on healthy sleep habits is also beneficial for the whole family. If everyone in the family sleeps well, these habits can be mutually reinforcing. She added that insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain in adults and older children.

Redline and his colleagues plan to complete their data collection and will have more information on sleep beyond the newborn stage and up to the age of two.

From this data, they will see how consistent the growth trajectories are and whether some children can go off their growth chart and then even go back.