378. Children who don’t sleep enough consume more and eat worse
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A new study shows that children who don’t get enough sleep tend to consume more calories, especially calories from unhealthy foods. In the study, presented at The International Congress on Obesity, researchers from New Zealand analyzed data on over 100 8- to 12-year-old kids. The children went to bed an hour earlier than normal for a week and an hour later than normal for a week. The children wore activity trackers and recorded what they ate and drank, including ultra-processed foods and unhealthy snacks. The researchers found that the sleep-deprived kids ate 96 more calories from junk food and overall more total calories than the kids who got enough sleep. Worse, the kids who didn’t sleep enough and who also didn’t exercise ate more junk food and ate more in the evening.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
