What's in a Nap?

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Child care providers and parents know that naps are an essential part of a young child’s life. However, there isn’t a huge body of research available to back that up. Recently the National Institutes of Health conducted a study that shows naps reboot energy and aid healthy development. In a preschool classrooms study, taking a nap helped with memory and supported learning. These results may help educators make informed decisions about naps.

Research was done on forty preschoolers by Dr. Rebecca Spencer and her team on exploring the relationship between early childhood naps and memory formation. The researchers taught the preschoolers a game called Memory. The objective of the game was for them to learn and remember 9 or 12 cartoons located on a grid. During the research, the children either took a nap or were kept awake. Researchers found that the children who took a nap recalled 10% more of the cartoon images and children who regularly took naps saw the most benefit.

So, not only do naps help young children’s health, but also with their learning. This study affirms that routine and the opportunity for rest is crucial for healthy early childhood development.

For more information on the study, follow this link.