Sleep is Vital for Children Learning and Development

It is said, ‘A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures.’ Sleep is certainly an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. Just a night of poor sleep can completely make the day’s activities and performance halted. It is no surprise that sleep deprivation can impact children just as it has an effect on adults. This is why we, at JP International School, ranked among the top schools in Greater Noida, have always maintained that it is crucial to understand the necessity of sleep in children and how it impacts their learning and development.

The thing is that we constantly hear physical and mental health of young children has a considerable impact on their learning.  But do we really understand how much a child’s sleep can impact their growth and contribute to their development? To put it clearly, a child’s sleep is just as significant as their nutrition and exercising because it improves their overall mental and physical health. So, let’s delve deeper into the topic in this article today and see how and why proper sleep constitutes a vital component in children’s growth and learning.

Deep sleep is the key to good health

Sleep, in particular deep sleep, is vital for healthy growth and development. Ideally, a child should spend at least half of their sleeping hours in a deep sleep to ensure proper growth and development. This is because, majority of human hormones, especially growth hormones, are secreted during the times of deep sleep. So, without ample sleep, children might experience inadequate growth, which can also impede their development and learning to a greater extent.

Various studies have shown that children who get an adequate amount of sleep regularly are considerably better at focusing on their work for longer periods of time. Such children are quite attentive in learning and show far better performance in memory, concentration, and behavior.

Proper sleep aids in mental development

Getting adequate sleep is essential to a child’s mental development, as a child’s brain is busy developing while their body is at rest. At JP International School, we have seen that children who do not get enough sleep have a hard time concentrating and managing their moods. Moreover, sleep helps kids improve their focus and attention span. Studies have shown that children who get adequate sleep every day tend to show higher levels of concentration, optimal mental alertness and are less impulsive and not easily distracted. So, it is important for you to make sure your child rests well, and by doing this, you will be supporting your little one’s brain to take its form in the right way.

Effects performance at all levels

Children who are deprived of sleep during their early years tend to experience an adverse impact on their growth hormones, causing growth hormone deficiency and subsequent negative effects. Lack of sleep can primarily affect a child’s weight and impacts their performance at all levels. It is hence important for children to get the right amount of sleep every day. Having said that, not many know that naps during the daytime are equally important as the nighttime sleep. Naps help the brain to relax and prevent it from becoming overtired.

Now, with all thoughts going over your mind, you must be thinking about how much sleep your children need. Well, practically, it depends on a child’s age and bodily requirements. In general, toddlers need 11-14 hours of sleep, while school-age children need 9-11 hours of sleep at night. It is necessary to ensure that you practice the right sleeping schedule for your child and establish strict and consistent bedtime routines. At JP International School, one of the top schools in Greater Noida, we believe that the quality of sleep a child gets not only greatly contributes to his/her performance at school but also helps to improve his/her day-to-day ability to function and optimizes the health. Creating a consistent sleeping routine and watching out for signs of sleep problems in your kids can help enhance their learning and development and ensure their growth into happier, mentally strong, less demanding, and more sociable adults.

- JP International School