Daytime Naps Maybe Not So Beneficial After Age 2
Women's Health News
Obie Editorial Team
In a paper published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, Thorpe’s research team states “The duration and quality of sleep have immediate, ongoing, and long-term consequences for child development and health.” Many parents assume a daytime nap is good for all kids until they start school but a growing body of research indicates daytime naps can interrupt a child’s circadian rhythms (biological processes such as sleep, wakefulness, and hunger that occur in roughly 24-hour cycles).
The Thorpe study indicates that after the age of 2, children who nap are more likely to have problems falling asleep at bedtime, sleep quality may be less than desirable, and they are more likely to wake up frequently through the night.
The methodology of the studies Thorpe’s team analyzed varied enough so that it was impossible to discern any effects on behavior and cognition on children who napped after age 2.
The National Sleep Foundation describes sleep as “the primary activity of the brain during early development.” It says it takes babies three to six months to get used to natural light and dark cycles of the day, establish their own circadian rhythms, and sleep regularly. By birthday #2, most children have spent more time sleeping than awake.
Kids spend about 40% of their childhood sleeping, according to the foundation, with sleep shifting from intermittent sleep periods throughout the day and night to a pattern of daytime wakefulness and night sleep as they mature.
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