4th October 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A new research study has been published which suggests that younger children should sleep in the afternoon in order to boost their brain power. According to the findings, a nap of just one hour after lunch for 3-5 year olds significantly improves their ability to remember lessons. The study also showed that the benefits were visible into the next day as well as the day they were given time to sleep. The report, conducted by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherts, suggests that naps are a crucial for memory consolidation and learning capacity in youngsters.
Report authors highlighted this finding, saying that it should impact on the debate in early learning schools and pre-schools as to whether children should have a nap scheduled in. The children who participated in the study were given visual-spatial tasks on afternoons after a nap, and on afternoons where they had no sleep. The results showed that after a nap, children were able to recall 10% more of the information that have been given to them, than they could after having been kept awake. Additional tests conducted in a sleep lab showed increased brain activity in regions linked with learning in sleeping children.
The report authors point out that it is widely accepted that adults benefit from short naps if they are working long hours, and argue that the same attention should be paid to children’s learning processes. Young require 11-13 hours’ sleep a day in order to process the huge amount of information and growing taking place. It is crucial for young children to have an opportunity for their minds to recharge in order to cope with the activities of the next day. The study showed that children who were sleep deprived were tired, agitated and had trouble concentrating, and recommended that schools adopt a policy of allowing young children a nap each afternoon.