ISSR's researchers Dr Yaqoot Fatima and Associate Professor Abdullah Mamun analysed four years of data from 1250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (aged five to eight years) involved in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC).
Their results highlighted that children with consistent late bedtime (after 9.30 pm on weekdays and weekends) gain more weight than children who go to bed early (around 7 pm), suggesting that going early to bed is as important for children, if not more, as sleeping for the recommended hours. Therefore excessively focusing on sleep duration as the sole measure of healthy sleep won’t be sufficient to achieve better health outcomes for children.
