Parents, have you been forcing your toddlers to take a nap perhaps after lunch or right after play? Guess what, it's not the best thing to do, according to a brand-new research.
A study conducted by Australian researchers seems to contradict the long-held belief that toddlers and children have to sleep as much as they can in order to be healthier and more alert. Rather, the research suggests that it napping prevents them from getting quality sleep at night.
The study specifically points out that napping isn't that good for children age 2 and above. They are able to come up with this conclusion when they analyzed more than 25 studies that can be read in Archives of Disease in Childhood journal.
After analyzing the data, they found something consistent: children who are at least 2 years old are having a hard time falling asleep, and if they do, the sleep is often disturbed. The analyses, however, are unclear about the actual effect of napping and less sleep at night onto the children's development and behavior. That opens more opportunities for study.
But some health experts believe that it's not about when they sleep but the quality of sleep they've been getting. During an interview with Live Science, Boston Children's Hospital Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders director Richard Ferber mentioned that children especially the very young ones may still need naps so they can always perform at their best throughout the entire day. Parents and carers should see to it that they sleep the best way possible.
Another doctor from Northwestern University Dr. Marc Weissbluth shared in the same Live Science article that there are many children around 3 years old who take naps and don't experience problems with sleeping at night. If the children are having a hard time, he simply suggests to move bedtime to an earlier period.
The National Sleep Foundation has recently issued new guidelines on sleeping duration. Children who are between 3 and 5 years old should sleep at least 10 to 13 hours.