Big Baby

It’s the lament of almost every new mom—“I wish my baby would sleep more!” Now, there’s an even better reason to want your child on a regular sleep schedule.

You probably already know that TV watching and lack of sleep in adolescents and adults are contributing factors to obesity, but a new study shows that infants are also prone to weight gain if they aren’t snoozing enough. Children under the age of two who sleep less than 12 hours in a 24-hour period are more likely to be overweight, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Of course, there’s no way to make a child sleep, but you can do your best to practice healthy living as a family—lots of fresh fruits and veggies, plenty of exercise and fun. If your infant is well fed and stimulated, hopefully he'll be too tired to fight you when it’s time for bed. And, hey, that means you get more sleep too! [USA Today]