Does reduced sleep lead to overweight children?
(48) Sarah Blunden, University of South Australia A study of Australian schoolchildren in Darwin has raised the possibility that impaired sleep in children could contribute to being overweight. A higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with reports of sleep problems and with daytime sleepiness in particular, though not consistently with reduced sleep time or symptoms of disordered breathing Adolescents and their changing sleep patterns (S1) Mary Carskadon, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, Brown University, Providence, USA A growing need for autonomy, increasing access to social opportunities and increased access to electronic entertainment are just some of the factors that account for the marked changes in an adolescent’s sleep behaviour. Bioregulatory changes that occur during adolescence also appear to contribute to altered sleep patterns by applying ‘pressure’ or giving ‘permission’ to stay up later. Sleep and Breathing in the Elderly (S2) Mary Morrell, National Hear