Establishing a fixed schedule for children's sleep makes their brains bigger and healthier. This is the result of a recent study from Colorado State University. Keeping children awake too long or engaging in family activities without establishing a strict sleep schedule quickly turns into a routine that damages brain development.
This study shows that children, especially in the poorest families, tend to have worse sleep and therefore less developed brains. Sticking to as many family routines as possible can help protect children from the brain damage that sleep deprivation can cause, scientists said. Weekly "family time," doing homework at the same time each day, a consistent bedtime ritual, eating dinner as a family each night, and a consistent bedtime are all vital rituals that help a child have good habits and therefore. a good sleep.
The scientists collected data from 94 children between the ages of five and nine, all from different origins. They measured their brains with MRI scans while asking parents detailed questions about their lives, status, income and family routines.
The analysis revealed that children who had more irregular sleep or shorter schedules also had changes in their brain structure. The team hopes their work will lead to the development of programs to protect children's sleep so that when families go through difficult times their brains don't suffer.
"Our findings show that insufficient sleep may be related not only to brain structure, but also to the function of brain circuits related to emotion processing in children," added Dr. Emily Merz. This may explain why reduced sleep leads to greater sensitivity to negative emotions.
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Source: Telegraph
