Toddlers Need No Daytime Sleep

A group of researchers from the Queensland University of Technology have found that an afternoon nap is harmful to children older than two years.

According to them, napping is harmful to children older than two years. It affects the quality of night sleep, which is so important for proper growth and development of the child.

In their study, they used the data from previous experiments on daytime sleep of the children up to 5 years, posted on the Archives of Disease in Childhood website. The analysis revealed that a child’s afternoon nap not just affects the overall quality of sleep.

The children older than 2 years who have breaks for sleep during the day need much more time at night to fall asleep. The total duration of nighttime sleep reduces as well, which further affects their cognitive abilities and physical health.

These findings deny the statements about the benefits of an afternoon nap for people of all ages, which have been made by the scientists before.