In France, should children take an afternoon nap in the middle section and in the big nursery section? The findings of researchers at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) should revive the debate among chronobiologists and early childhood specialists.
Their study, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that afternoon naps in children aged three to five are welcome for help them memorize their lessons. Concretely, the nap helps children to consolidate their memory and promotes early learning. After a nap, these benefits are visible in the afternoon and persist until the next day.
To prove their assertions, the scientists compared the educational game performances of 40 children aged 3 to 5 in kindergarten class. Children who took an hour-long afternoon nap retained 10% of information from what they had learned in the morning compared to those who did not take a nap. Children who slept also performed better in visualization exercises in space.
A nap to better concentrate
Study author Rebecca Spencer says these findings prove that napping helps young children better remember what they are learning in kindergarten. Asked by the BBC, Dr Robert Scott-Jupp, of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health added: “To be the most attentive, toddlers need to sleep 11 to 13 hours a day, if we want to let them a chance to decompress and be in good shape for the day ahead. We now know that a nap matters as much as nighttime sleep. Without it, toddlers are tired, grumpy, more distracted and struggle to concentrate “.
A recent study has shown that the nap should not exceed 30 minutesin adults, this can increase the risk of diabetes and hypertension.
