Is the afternoon nap harmful for children?

Many parents believe that daytime naps, or more specifically afternoon naps for preschool children, are unequivocally beneficial, however, there are a number of studies that show that the complete rejection of afternoon naps is desirable as early as the 2nd year from life.

The results of these studies showed that daytime sleepiness is the cause of the decrease in the quality of nighttime sleep in children over the age of 2, and it is also possible to negatively affect their mental development.

The authors of the new study, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, set themselves the task of summarizing all the information available to date on these issues and analyzed all the studies concerning the influence of the afternoon nap on the quality of night sleep, behavior , cognitive processes and physical health in children up to 5 years of age.

They point out that the impact of nighttime sleep on all of these processes is well-studied, yet research on the impact of afternoon naps is sparse and controversial. So, for example, some studies have shown that daytime sleep disrupts the general daily routine and circadian rhythms of children.

In their new study, the authors conducted a systematic review of all published scientific research related to daytime sleep in children up to 5 years of age. 26 such studies were found, all of which were analyzed in this review.

After pooling the results of these studies, the authors found evidence that daytime sleep leads to later bedtimes in children older than 2 years of age, and also to a reduction in total nighttime sleep duration.

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But this remains the only undoubtedly proven fact.

Due to differences in how the research was conducted, the authors were unable to establish a clear link between daytime sleep and any harmful effects on children’s behavior, development, and general health.

The small number of studies on the impact of daytime sleep on children’s health was recognized as a weakness of this scientific review.

“The studies we analyzed had different methodology, different standards for evaluating results, and other inconsistencies in how they were conducted. All this leads to contradictory results and makes it difficult to draw final conclusions,” the authors explain.

They suggest that new research on this topic will be conducted in the near future, which will bring greater clarity to the discussed issues.
“The influence of night sleep on the development and health of children is very well studied, but the impact of daytime sleep has yet to be studied,” the authors also point out.

And now, based on this preliminary analysis, the authors recommend a complete rejection of daytime sleep only for children with nighttime sleep quality problems, such as difficulty falling asleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), children spend about 40% of their time sleeping.

NSF specialists give the following recommendations for maintaining good quality sleep, which in preschool age should be lasting 11-13 hours a day:

• Parents should strive to maintain a regular sleep schedule for their child – that is, for him to go to bed and wake up at the same time;

• Creating a relaxing environment in the room where the child sleeps;

• It is necessary to ensure silence, dimmed light in the child’s bedroom, and the TV and all digital devices with small displays must be removed.