Adolescents who sleep adequately tend to make healthier food choices compared to their sleep deprived peers. The study, reported by the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), may unravel the mystery of the relationship between sleep and obesity. ”Those kids who lacked sleep not only ate more of the unhealthy stuff, but also ate less of the healthful foods,” noted lead researcher Lauren Hale, PhD, of Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, of the study’s findings, “Although we already know that sleep duration is associated with physical condition, this study is unique in that it illustrates how health is affected by exploring certain mechanisms, such as nutrition and decision-making.” The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health Research, examined the relationship between sleep processes and dietary choices for 13,284 adolescents who participated in the second wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the United States. Data were collected in 1996, when the average age of the study participants was 16 years old. Researchers found that adolescents who slept less than seven hours per night (18 percent of the study population) were more likely to eat fast food twice or more per week and less likely to eat healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits. The study took into account age, gender, race, socioeconomic factors, physical activity and family structure and found that sleep duration independently influenced individuals’ choices of healthy or unhealthy foods. Study participants were divided into three categories: sleep deprived (those who slept less than 7 hours per night), moderate sleepers (7-8 hours per night), and adequate sleepers (>8 hours per night). The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends 9-10 hours of sleep per night for minors. ”We are interested in the relationship between sleep duration and food choices in adolescents because adolescence is a critical developmental stage that falls between childhood and adulthood,” noted Allison Kruger, MPH, Stony Brook University Hospital, the study’s first author. “Adolescents already have considerable control over their food and sleep, and the habits they form at this time may have a very strong impact on the adult stage.” The team concluded that focusing on sleep deprivation may be an innovative and effective way to promote obesity prevention and health interventions. According to Dr. Hale, the next step in the study will be to explore whether there is a clear causal relationship between sleep duration and food choices. ”If we can determine that there is indeed a causal link between chronic sleep deprivation and poor food choices, then we need to consider how we can more actively use sleep education as part of obesity prevention and health interventions.” Dr. Hale stated.