Napping is a habit for many people, whether in winter or summer. Many people take a nap at noon every day. It is said that taking a nap every day can improve memory, make the mind clearer and more agile. So does the baby need a nap? How long is the best time for a baby to nap?
1、 Not taking a nap leads to a 10% decrease in memory
The Guardian website recently reported that a study by American psychologists shows that napping can help preschool children remember what they learned in the morning.
In the study, psychologists went to a kindergarten to teach 40 children aged 3-5 a simple computer game. The game requires children to remember the positions of pictures including cats, umbrellas, and police officers in a grid. They start training their children from 10am until they can remember about 75% of the positions in the pictures. Scientists went to see each child twice. Once, let the children sleep for an hour between 1pm and 3pm, and another time not let them sleep. In order to find out how sleep affects memory, scientists tested each child again in the late afternoon of the same day and found that children who took a nap recalled 10% more information than those who did not.
If a child does not take a nap after meals, it can disrupt the way their brain stores memories, thereby affecting their learning ability. Preschool children who do not nap have faster memory loss than those who nap, and even if they sleep well at night, they cannot improve their scores. Therefore, children who develop the habit of taking a nap benefit the most.
2、 How long is the best time for nap and sleep
Since developing the habit of taking a nap can greatly help babies' memory and learning efficiency, what should babies pay attention to when taking a nap? Do babies of different ages sleep the same amount of time?
1. It is advisable for babies to nap for 1-3 hours
Actually, taking a nap doesn't mean sleeping more makes you smarter. Baby's nap time should not be too long. Sleeping too much during the day can easily affect nighttime sleep, which can have the opposite effect! Experts suggest that preschool children should not nap for more than 2.5 hours. Generally, children aged 1-3 should sleep for about 2 hours during the day and 10-11 hours at night, for a total of 13 hours of sleep; Children aged 3-6 usually take a nap for 1-1.5 hours, with a total sleep time of 12 hours.
2. The optimal nap temperature is 24-25 degrees Celsius
Fresh and refreshing air is an important condition for children to fall asleep quickly, so the indoor temperature should not be too high. A room temperature of around 24-25 degrees Celsius is the most comfortable. To provide a quiet sleeping environment for the baby, parents' movements and words should be gentle, eliminating all human interference, so that the baby can sleep more steadily.
3. Don't forget to cover yourself with a blanket during your summer nap
In summer, the sun is scorching at noon, and the hot weather always makes it difficult for babies to fall asleep. Mothers can turn on air conditioning or a small fan for their babies, but they should pay attention to the hot weather. During nap time, they should also cover their babies' abdomen with a towel or blanket to prevent cool air from entering.
Families with babies at home must help their babies develop good sleep habits, which are all developed with the help of their mothers. In order to help babies have better sleep habits and better memory, taking a nap is essential.
