Hey kid, falling asleep at your desk! WAKE UP!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Children have IMMENSE energy one moment. But then, . . . they’re out like a light! But is there something GOOD about that nap?
Jianghong Liu from University of Pennsylvania and an international team might have the answer!
The researchers studied almost 4,000 elementary schoolers in a southeastern coastal region of China. They gathered teachers’ reports and surveys filled out by the students. The surveys recorded students’ sleep patterns, school performance, and well-being.
Results? Liu found that kids who nap three or more times weekly got the MOST benefits! They were happier, more likely to stick to long-term goals, and had fewer behavioral problems. More notably, nappers had almost an EIGHT PERCENT increase in academic performance! That’s nearly a letter grade difference!
Napping is NOT being lazy! The researchers believe that napping regularly benefits children’s developing brains.
As for adults? I have an insight here, but first! Zzzzzz . . .
Reference: Liu, J., Feng, R., Ji, X., Cui, N., Raine, A., & Mednick, S. C. (2019). Midday napping in children: Associations between nap frequency and duration across cognitive, positive psychological well-being, behavioral, and metabolic health outcomes. Sleep, 42(zsz126). https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz126