'Afternoon naps' aid children's learning

Getting young children to take an hour-
long nap after lunch could help them with
their learning by boosting brain power, a
small study suggests.
A nap appeared to help three-to-five-year-olds
better remember pre-school lessons, US
researchers said.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
researchers studied 40 youngsters and report
their findings in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
The benefit persisted in the afternoon after a
nap and into the next day.
The study authors say their results suggest
naps are critical for memory consolidation and
early learning.
When the children were allowed a siesta after
lunch they performed significantly better on a
visual-spatial tasks in the afternoon and the
next day than when they were denied a midday
snooze.
Following a nap, children recalled 10% more
of the information they were being tested on
than they did when they had been kept awake.
Close monitoring of 14 additional youngsters
who came to the researchers' sleep lab
revealed the processes at work in the brain
during asleep.
As the children napped, they experienced
increased activity in brain regions linked with
learning and integrating new information.

Memory aid
Lead investigator Rebecca Spencer said:
"Essentially we are the first to report evidence
that naps are important for preschool
children.
"Our study shows that naps help the kids
better remember what they are learning in
preschool."
She said while older children would naturally
drop their daytime sleep, younger children
should be encouraged to nap.
Dr Robert Scott-Jupp, of the Royal College of
Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "It's been
known for years that having a short sleep can
improve the mental performance of adults, for
example doctors working night shifts. Up until
now, no-one has looked at the same thing in
toddlers. This is important, because pre-
school nurseries are divided on whether they
should allow their children a nap.
"Toddlers soak up a huge amount of
information everyday as they become
increasingly inquisitive about the world around
them and begin to gain independence.
"To be at their most alert toddlers need about
11-13 hours of sleep a day, giving their active
minds a chance to wind down and re-charge,
ready for the day ahead. We now know that a
daytime sleep could be as important as a
nighttime one. Without it, they would be tired,
grumpy, forgetful and would struggle to
concentrate."