Study Finds Good Night's Sleep Makes Teens Slimmer

BOSTON (CBS) -- Here's another reason to make sure your teen gets a good night's sleep. A new Pennsylvania State University study finds that when young kids have regular bedtimes and get adequate sleep, they're more likely to be slimmer in their teenage years.

Researchers looked at more than 2,000 kids around the country. They found that when nine-year-olds had no regular bedtime and inconsistent sleep routines, they were more likely to get less sleep and have a higher body mass index (BMI) at age 15.

Poor sleep habits in teens have also been associated with behavioral and mental health issues as well as poor school performance and car crashes.

How much sleep should your teen get? About eight to 10 hours of sleep a night.