Trade-off ... Carrie Bickmore with Dave Hughes and Charlie Pickering on the set of The Project. Photo: Rodger Cummins
As a single, working mother who is often on set until 8pm, TV presenter Carrie Bickmore struggles to get her four-year-old son Ollie to bed early.
"I love to be able to see him and put him to bed, and [time] creeps up to 8.30pm, when ideally he's be in bed by 7.30pm," Bickmore, co-host of Ten's The Project said.
The trade-off between ensuring her son has adequate shut-eye or a goodnight cuddle is hard. But she's aware of the importance of a good night's sleep for her son's well-being.
"I know he needs to have 10-12 hours a night," she said. "It's a challenge as a working mum, to have dinner, bed and bath done by 7.30pm."
Bickmore lost her husband and Ollie's father Greg Lange to cancer two days after Christmas 2010.
Adequate sleep - between 10 and 12 hours a night for children and adolescents – is one of the "Super Seven" healthy habits for weight maintenance recommended by The Children's Hospital at Westmead, which is supporting The Sun-Herald's Healthy Habits campaign against childhood obesity.
Sleep deprivation affects the hormones that control appetite, with a tired person likely to eat more.
Bickmore finds that sleep certainly affects Ollie's behaviour and appetite.
"He's much better behaved [when he goes to bed earlier]. He eats better," she said.
"When he's tired he only wants lollies and sweet food and he's harder to handle."
