Is your child getting enough sleep?

Adequate sleep is significant to a child’s mental and physical health because it enables them to rest their mind and body to recover well.

Mental health

Afternoon periods of sleep are especially significant for a child's mental development because it allows the child to restore the resources used during the day’s physical activity.

While kids are awake during the day, toxins build up in the brain. Sleep is effective in removing toxins that have accumulated during their awake period and creating new pathways for learning new things.

In terms of mental development, studies have shown that when kids sleep, their brains usually process and consolidate memories. And this is significant in helping them recall the essential things in their lives.

Even during infancy, when kids are sleeping, it is shown that their minds are busy at work as they rest. When the baby is sleeping and starts to twitch, it is noted that their body is learning the connection between the brain and the muscles.

When children lack sleep, they are more prone to make unnecessary mistakes that interfere with their problem-solving skills and focus. The brain neurons cannot function properly without adequate day sleep.

A kid taking good rest during the day is essential in assisting them to concentrate and learn new stuff and supports their minds to capture new information and retain it.

Physical health

Kids are still in their growth period and sleep benefits their muscle growth and repair. It is scientifically proven that growth hormones are secreted and synthesized during any time of sleep.

Kids who do not sleep well may experience difficulty in growth because growth hormones are mainly produced during sleeping periods, thus, inadequate amounts of sleep may result in GH deficiencies.

Adequate day sleep allows a child’s body to repair and rejuvenate; this happens through tissue repairing, increasing muscle mass, synthesizing proteins, and maintaining an effective immune system. Kids who lack adequate sleep are more prone to illness because of weakened immune systems.

According to studies, children who get fewer sleep hours are likely to be obese. This is because lack of enough sleep can affect the leptin hormone which is the hormone that triggers a child’s mind when they have eaten enough. Without proper sleep and less leptin hormone, a kid may continue eat even if they have had enough, resulting in obesity.