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Could sleep be a magic answer to help cut childhood obesity?

New Zealand researchers say an hour’s extra sleep for pre-schoolers could bring benefits.

Could more sleep be the elixir to help stop children becoming overweight?

University of Auckland researchers think so after poring over data from more than 6000 children who are part of the country’s largest long-term study, Growing Up in New Zealand.

They say as little as 60 minutes of extra sleep for pre-schoolers at risk of being overweight turns into an almost 25 per cent better chance of having a healthy body weight.

“Our findings highlight the importance of night-time sleep for young children and the protection it offers for children who are potentially vulnerable to becoming overweight or obese,” lead researcher Dr Samantha Marsh said.

Researchers looked at risks to becoming obese like high stress levels and poverty, and also things that can help children like parenting style, family routines and length of time using technology.

“When we added them all together, sleep really came out as the strongest predictor,” Dr Marsh told 1 NEWS.

She said the research is significant.

Auckland mother of two Helen Moore told 1 NEWS she’s never before thought about a link between children’s sleep and the weight.

“I haven’t gone ‘if we’re not getting good sleep and setting good sleep foundations now, will it impact their weight later?’ so it’s definitely a new thing to consider,” she told 1 NEWS.

The University of Auckland’s Samantha Marsh said parents can help by “putting value” on sleep.

“You can’t force a child to sleep, but it’s important that we value sleep and create environments in children’s homes that are conducive with them getting a good sleep.

“A child needs to feel safe and safe with their parent, and parent child relationship – so perhaps closing the door on a child four years old isn’t going to be the most productive way to get a child to form a healthy sleep pattern,” she said.

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