As a parent, you might have noticed that your kids are reaching an age where they feel naps aren’t necessary anymore. This could make you wonder if they’re right, “are naps really that important?” especially if they don’t even want to nap. The short answer is yes, naps are important. But now, of course, you’ll wonder why. That’s okay! That’s normal. Heritage Learning Center experts want to tell you why naps are essential for young children. 

Adequate Sleep

Young children from 2 to 5 years old need a lot of sleep, probably more than you’d guess. Likely, they don’t sleep long enough at night to get all of this sleep they need, so naps during the day help them get adequate sleep. As a result, 2-year-olds need about 13 hours of sleep a day, 3-year-olds need about 12.5, 4-year-olds need 12 hours of sleep, and 5-year-olds need 11 hours of sleep. 

Helping Kids Stay Healthy

Research has shown that kids who don’t get enough sleep or get irregular sleep experience higher rates of obesity. This could be due to a multitude of things. One explanation could be that kids’ eating habits change when tired. For example, children tend to eat more when tired and choose less healthy foods. Another reason could be that children don’t get enough physical activity when they haven’t slept enough because they’re too tired to play outside and run around. 

Helping Children Learn

Studies have shown that kids who nap are better at memory games. What’s more, is that kids who rested every day regularly had the best results. We can conclude that napping and adequate sleep help young children learn better in the classroom. 

Better Mood

When your kids don’t have a nap, you probably notice that their moods are worse. Either they’re more emotional, angrier, or more stubborn. One study showed that 2-year-olds who didn’t nap were less joyful, more anxious, and reacted worse than others to frustrating events. This tells us that naps are essential for your children to be in a better mood than they otherwise would be without rest. 

 

All of this is to say that naps are essential for young children. Our programs for young children make sure naps are incorporated into the day to keep kids on schedule for adequate sleep. If you’re interested in our programs, please reach out to us! We would be excited to tell you about the programs we have for young children or older children if that’s what you’re looking for, so contact us today!

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