Research
Energy balance
Short sleep duration (typically <6-7 hours) is independently associated with an increased risk of obesity in both children and adults, with a dose-response relationship where shorter sleep correlates with higher BMI.
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. For children, ensure 10-11 hours. Consistently sleeping less than these amounts is a significant, independent risk factor for gaining excess body weight, regardless of diet or exercise habits.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
There is a global epidemic of obesity among children and adolescents. There is significant correlation between shorter sleeping hours among children and adolescents and the development of obesity.
Why this rating
Supported by large-scale epidemiological and longitudinal studies.
Source
Metabolic, Endocrine, and Immune Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
Laila AlDabal et al. · The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal · 2011
DOI 10.2174/1874306401105010031
narrative_reviewCited 354×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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