Getting some rest midday, 3 times a week, can improve multiple life-factors.
According to the University of Pennsylvania, your kids should nap. Case closed.
A study done earlier this year showed that even children as old as 10, 11 and 12 years of age can benefit from taking a break during the day.
The study followed about 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children. It found that those who nap 30 to 60 minutes in the middle of the day, at least three times a week, reap the benefits. Researchers found they are happier, have more self-control and “grit”, and showcase fewer behavioral problems.
The children in the study were also found to have higher IQ levels, which helped them achieve well, academically.
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“Many lab studies across all ages have demonstrated that naps can show the same magnitude of improvement as a full night of sleep on discrete cognitive tasks.” said UC Irvine sleep researcher Sara Mednick. “Here, we had the chance to ask real-world, adolescent schoolchildren questions across a wide range of behavioral, academic, social, and physiological measures.”
The more students sleep during the day she says, the greater the benefits.
Mednick also pointed out that while napping generally stops for children in North America around age 5 at the latest, in other parts of the world this isn’t the case. In China, for instance, napping is a practice ingrained in daily life for people of all ages. Spain as well, is famous for its midday siestas, which can be as short as 15 to 30 minutes.
