A developing child's daily nap could provide more health benefits than initially thought.
A study of 62 children (ages 4-5) categorized as either napping (77 percent) or non-napping (23 percent) found that those who didn't take daytime naps had higher levels of anxiety, hyperactivity and depression.
Researchers based study data on the parents' or caregivers' reporting of the children's typical weekday and weekend bedtime/wake time and napping patterns.
Family demographics and behavioral assessments of the children were included in the analysis.
Pennsylvania State University researchers recently presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Although Carol Marinko, coordinator of neurodiagnostic services at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque, had not reviewed the latest pediatric sleep research, she wasn't surprised the study indicated lowered anxiety among the nappers.
"Just think of yourself," Marinko said. "When you go to sleep and you feel stress, how much better do you feel when you wake up? That's an indicator of the benefits
| catch some sleep Surroundings can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep and take a nap. Make sure you have a restful place to lie down and that the temperature in the room is comfortable. Try to limit the amount of noise heard and the extent of the light filtering in. While some studies have shown that spending time in bed can be beneficial, it is better to try to catch some sleep. Source: National Sleep Foundation |
A child typically spends 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep.
"I think that naps are a good thing, but the most important thing is that kids get enough sleep overall," said Dr. James Hubbard, a pediatrician with Medical Associates Clinic. "Good sleep habits are important, and I do see kids with attention/behavior problems who do not get enough sleep."
Penn State researchers learned children who took naps did so an average of 3.4 days per week.
For young children, naps and nighttime sleep are both necessary and independent of each other.
"When they are in their growth spurts in their development, kids need more sleep," Marinko said.
Although children differ, after age 6 months, naps of a half hour to two hours' duration are expected and are generally discontinued by age 5.
"There is a lot of individual variability in when children are ready to give up naps," said Brian Crosby, a postdoctoral fellow of psychology at Penn State and the lead author of the study. "I would encourage parents to include a quiet rest time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary."
Hubbard agrees with Crosby that a quiet time should be scheduled during the day for kids 5-6 years of age.
"Also, a quiet time and a bedtime ritual for about a half hour before bed to allow kids to settle down is good," Hubbard said. "Ideally, most kids should wake up on their own refreshed and ready to go. If that is not the case, then an earlier bedtime needs to be considered."
