Napping 4-year Olds less Anxious

June 9 (UPI) -- Young children between ages 4-5, who did not nap were found to be more hyperactive and anxious than children who napped.

The study, presented at Sleep (the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle) found children who did not take daytime naps had higher levels of: hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression than other children.

The researchers suggest napping may have a significant influence on young children's daytime functioning and should be encouraged.

"There is a lot of individual variability in when children are ready to give up naps," lead study author Brian Crosby of Pennsylvania State University in said in a statement.

"I would encourage parents to include a quiet 'rest' time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary."

For the study, caregivers for 62 children reported typical weekday and weekend bedtime/rise time, napping patterns, family demographics, and completed a behavioral assessment of the child. It's possible that there could be some minor consequences to children who aren't given the same amount of rest as normal children their same age. It's too early to tell if sleep deprivation at this age could lead to conditions like A.D.D. and A.D.H.D, but it is known that sleep at this age should be a very important part of their daily routine.

Type II Diabetes Found In Children

U.S. scientists and researchers have now documented the early signs of type 2 diabetes in children as young as age seven.

Melinda Sothern from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans documented previously unknown signs for obesity, heart disease and diabetes -- collectively called Metabolic Syndrome -- in very young children.

Metabolic Syndrome involves risk factors for diabetes such as blood pressure, obesity and decreased high-density lipo-protein, known as the "good" cholesterol.

Data was collected on 118 healthy children, ages 7-9, enrolled in an ongoing study.

The study found a child's current fat weight is the strongest predictor for poor insulin sensitivity, which is a risk factor for type two diabetes. Low-density lipo-protein, the "bad" cholesterol, was also strongly associated with insulin sensitivity in the prediction model.

The study found that fat in liver cells and in skeletal -- leg -- muscle cells also predict poor insulin sensitivity and high insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, along with an impaired fat-burning ability in the muscles.

These relationships were only found after the researchers considered the child's current fat weight, so the strongest predictor is whether or not these young children are currently overweight or obese.

The finding was presented at the American Diabetes Association annual scientific session meeting in New Orleans.

SOURCE - June 10 (UPI) http://www.upi.com/health
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