Babies, toddlers and pre-school children who sleep for less than ten hours a night are more likely to be overweight when they are older, research has found.

　　研究发现，婴儿、幼儿和学前儿童每天睡眠不足10个小时，他们长大后更容易变得肥胖。

　　Experts believe a lack of sleep causes an imbalance in the hormones that control appetite, meaning those who do not get enough sleep are more likely to feel hungry and crave calorie-rich snacks during the day.

　　专家认为，睡眠不足会导致荷尔蒙失调，而荷尔蒙在很大程度上控制人们的食欲。这也就意味着睡眠不足的人更容易感到饥饿，而在白天寻找更多高热量的食物。

　　Researchers from the Universities of Washington and California looked at the sleeping habits of almost 1,000 children under the age of five.

　　来自华盛顿大学和加利福尼亚大学的研究者找来大约一千名不到五岁的儿童，对他们的睡眠习惯进行观察。

　　They found those who have less than ten hours' sleep were twice as likely to be overweight five years later, with some even clinically obese.

　　他们发现，五年后，那些每天睡眠不足10个小时的儿童发胖的几率是睡眠充足的儿童的两倍，其中还有一些儿童已经患上临床性肥胖症。

　　The researchers concluded: "Insufficient night-time sleep among infants and pre-school-age children appears to be a lasting risk factor for subsequent obesity. Sleep duration is a modifiable risk factor with potentially important implications for obesity prevention and treatment."

　　研究人员得出结论：“婴儿和学龄前儿童睡眠时间不足似乎已经为后来的肥胖埋下长久的隐患。睡眠时间是一个可变危险因素，对肥胖症的预防和治疗有着潜在的重要意义。”