Young children may often protest against their early bedtime, swaying their parents to let them stay awake for their favourite programme. Or, parents may wake up the child for sleeping in late on weekends or scold them to stay up late at night to finish their school homework. Sleep may look like a form of laziness or procrastination to parents.
However, sleep is fundamental to the brain's development. For parents, it’s important to remember that sleep is vital for young brains. This means that parents need to encourage their children to value good sleeping habits.
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that there are more alarming consequences of sleep disruptions in young children. ALSO READ: Poor sleep can age your brain by 3 years; study reveals alarming link between sleep problems and brain age Sleep’s connection to brain development It’s not a surprising fact that sleep supports brain health, and poor sleep quality is detrimental to cognitive functioning. The study, led by Professor Graham Diering from the University of North Carolina, delves into how sleep plays an indispensable role in developing the neural connections necessary for learning and memory.
There’s a difference in the key role of sleep in adults and children. For adults, sleep is largely associated with maintenance and repair, but for children, the study suggests that sleep has a vital developmental function. It is critical for brain growth and the strengtheni.