Lack of sleep in teens tied to factors that underlie heart ailments: Report

Parents need to teach children to make sleep a priority and help them develop a good bedtime routine

Adolescents who don’t get enough sleep may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and excess body fat, a US study suggests.

“Sleep matters,” said Dr. Elsie Taveras of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Sleep quantity and quality are pillars of health alongside diet and physical activity.”

Taveras and colleagues asked 829 teens to wear activity trackers on their wrists to log nighttime sleep and daytime activity for seven to 10 days. They also examined risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes by measuring teens’ waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and a hallmark