Naps are good for breaks in a day. Preschoolers also take benefit from taking naps. Taking naps helps preschoolers to learn better.
Researchers have studied how naps benefit 3 year old children. The study has shown that preschoolers who took naps after being taught have absorbed what they learned much better. The study could be useful for parents, since it shows the importance of nap time for children even at a time when naps dwindle for them.
Michelle Sandoval has made the research as a doctoral student at the University of Arizona. Her study has 39 3 year old children in her study. The children were divided into two groups. One group consists of those who are habitual nappers, while the other group are those who do not take naps habitually.
The two groups were given two conditions, one in which the children would nap after learning a new word. The other condition would be when the children would not take a nap. The children were made to learn two made-up words, accompanied with a video showing actions along with the words.
After 24 hours, the children were shown two new videos with new actors performing the actions. Children who napped consistently were able to identify the words with the actions much better than children who did not, according to UA News. The study used verbs for the children since it is more difficult to learn than simple nouns.
Preschoolers begin to take naps less frequently than those younger than them. Children from birth to six months take naps six times a day, as Science Daily reports. That would then go down to lesser naps as children approach preschool age.
Researchers say that what is important is that children get the necessary amount of sleep. Parents shouldn't worry too much if their kids don't take naps too often. Preschoolers should get around 10 to 12 hours of sleep daily.
Naps have been found to be good for preschoolers. Taking naps helps preschoolers to learn better. Close friendships are seen to be important in social networks, as a study has revealed.
