DANVILLE — New research has indicated parents may be inadvertently adding to their children’s sleep problems, which in turn can lead to many health problems such as obesity and diabetes.

Although lack of sleep leading to greater risks for health issues has been known for quite some time, Dr. Alexander Villareal, a Geisinger sleep specialist, says the correlation is becoming more frequent with children.

“It’s been very unfortunate,” Dr. Villareal said. “We’ve found strong relationships with children not getting enough sleep and then becoming overweight. They’re also at risk for diabetes, as well as having problems with blood sugar levels and metabolism.”

The latest research, revealed in the current issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, reported that babies who get less than 12 hours of sleep a day face twice the risk of being overweight as preschoolers. Additionally, the report indicated some parents may contribute to the problem by taking steps intended to soothe their child, but in reality, lead to disrupted sleep.

Dr. Villareal said the research is backed by a 2004 Sleep in America poll done by the National Sleep Foundation, which revealed more than two-thirds of American children experience frequent sleep problems.

“You can see where children are chronically sleep deprived, which leads to all sorts of problems,” Dr. Villareal said. “Another concern is that problems are also under-reported by parents, because they don’t perceive their children as being sleep deprived.”

In one recent study, researchers determined that of the 915 children studied, 83 of them were overweight when they reached three years of age. The researchers also found that 3-year-olds who slept less than 12 hours a day as infants weighed more for their age and sex, compared with children who slept 12 hours a day or more as babies.

In another study, researchers found that parents’ bedtime behavior was linked to their children’s sleep disturbances. Among the issues included mothers being present when the child falls asleep and feeding the child after they awaken. Co-sleeping, when a parent sleeps with a child, was also found to make it harder for a child to fall back asleep after awakening.

“School children should 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night, while preschool children need a little more, roughly 11 to 12 hours,” Dr. Villareal said. “Not getting enough sleep has an impact on two key hormones that regulate hunger.

“Leptin, which is produced in the fatty tissue, gives us the sensation of being full. Those levels actually drop when you don’t get enough sleep. Ghrelin, which is called the hunger hormone, gives you the hunger sensation. Those levels actually increase when you don’t get enough sleep, which is why you get a special craving of (carbohydrates) and sugar when you’re sleepy.”

To learn more about sleep behaviors, specifically relating to children, visit the National Sleep Foundation at www.sleepfoundation.org.

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