Should You Limit Your Child’s Nap Time? New Study Shows Naps Reflect Baby’s Cognitive Function

Each child develops and learns at their own pace, so as a new parent, it can be difficult to determine the best approach for your child. But one widely recognized factor is the importance of naps for all children (especially since no one wants to be left with a grumpy, fussy baby).

a Recent research A study conducted at the University of East Anglia found that more frequent naps in children can reduce vocabulary and impair the development of important cognitive skills. (1)

For this study, researchers recruited 463 babies aged between 3 months and 8 months. Parents were asked to specifically observe their children’s sleep patterns, information retention and concentration, and processing of specific words and pronunciations. (1)

Studies have shown that babies who are good at synthesizing information don’t need as many naps throughout the day. Babies who needed extra nap time, on the other hand, struggled to pick up words and had cognitive delays.

The results of the study show this, but the researchers said parents shouldn’t jump to the solution of shortening their baby’s naps.

“Parents have a lot of anxiety about sleep,” said lead researcher Dr. Teodora Griga. “Parents worry that their children do not nap as much as expected for their age, or that they nap too often or too long.” (1)

For now, resist the urge to eliminate your child’s nap time on the premise that their cognitive abilities will improve. In fact, Gliga advises the opposite approach and encourages you to let nature take as many naps as it needs.

“Young children naturally nap as much as they need and should be allowed to do so,” she says.

Still worried about how long your child naps? Don’t worry, that’s why we brought in the experts.

Involve experts

As a parent, is nap time one of your considerations? After all, it’s a very important aspect of your baby’s lifestyle that needs to be paid close attention to. Courtney Zenz CEO and Founder of Tiny Transitions Sleep Consulting.

She said how much sleep a baby gets can make a big difference in cognitive development and memory.

“If your baby is not getting the right amount of sleep at the right time, you can tell almost immediately, even at a young age, by their attention span and learning progress. records and edits.When I’m asleep,” she told Sleepopolis.

She said that if babies constantly oversleep during the day, their bedtime and nighttime sleep will be off at what they should be. This can cause your baby to cry and wake you up earlier than you would like.

On the other hand, if your baby doesn’t sleep at night or is overstimulated, it can disrupt their sleep cycle. Zenz explained that as a parent, you shouldn’t hear the stereotypical idea that you have to stay up all day so your baby can sleep early at night.

“Even though we need a limited amount of sleep, the important thing is that we need to get the right amount of sleep throughout the day to balance our age and developmental needs,” she says.

If you’re a little unsure about your baby’s sleep habits, Zenz says, pay attention to them (whether you use an app or the old-fashioned pen and paper note-taking method). can also be done). Monitoring your baby’s schedule for a few weeks can help spot patterns and underlying sleep problems, Zenz said.

“If your baby is consistently getting significantly more or less sleep than average for his age, has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or looks unusually lethargic or lethargic even after a nap, all consult. It’s a sign that you should. [your] I’m a pediatrician,” she says.

Zenz also pointed out that if you notice your baby’s naps are a little too long, you might want to wake them up. Don’t worry she, she had a reason for this.

“For many parents, the goal is optimal development through milk consumption in the first year of life,” she says. “It’s also to help a well-prepared baby, usually between three and six months of age, sleep through the night.”

So how many naps and bedtimes should you take before waking your child? Babies at birth should stay awake for 45 to 60 minutes before bedtime to prevent overstimulation, Zenz says.

At 9 months, your baby should wake up between 6am and 7am Baby should go to bed by 7pm

Do you have plans for a nap? At this age, to reach the ideal level of the sleep “pressure” hormone known as adenosine, twice a day, such as once at 10am and once between 2-3pm and waking up at 4pm. You need to do.

Even if you don’t want to deal with the kicking and screaming of your baby just waking up, it’s important to follow a set sleep schedule to make sure your baby adjusts. Sleep is very important for your baby’s health, so keep an eye out for any irregularities.

Eva Girardi

Ava Girardi is an Editorial News Intern at Sleepopolis. She loves to write about all things sleep, from the bedtime routines trending on TikTok to research on sleep quality that can help you get the most useful information for achieving the perfect bedtime routine. I love it. Eva is currently a dual major in Journalism and Media Analysis at Elon University. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going for runs, and trying new and delicious foods.