My baby has (luckily) been a good napper from the beginning, but after a recent ear infection, he has been off his nap schedule for about a week now. Not having those long, restorative naps has made my little guy a little off kilter. (It made me off kilter, too! I need those down times as well.)
Being off schedule this week made me realize how important those naps are...not only do they rejuvenate moms and babies, but according to a new study from the University of Arizona in Tuscon, babies learn better when they nap within four hours of learning something new.
The study shows that babies who are able to take a daytime nap are more likely to exhibit an advanced level of learning known as abstraction. Abstraction is a level of learning where the brain detects patterns of new information.
One of the researchers of this study, Lynn Nadel, stated that babies should get some sleep within a reasonable amount of time after learning new information. If a baby doesn't sleep within four to eight hours of learning new information, they most likely will lose everything they just learned.
So what does this mean, parents? It is important to stimulate your baby with reading, talking, playing and other stimuli, but these stimuli need to happen within a timeframe that includes adequate sleep.
Being off schedule this week made me realize how important those naps are...not only do they rejuvenate moms and babies, but according to a new study from the University of Arizona in Tuscon, babies learn better when they nap within four hours of learning something new.
The study shows that babies who are able to take a daytime nap are more likely to exhibit an advanced level of learning known as abstraction. Abstraction is a level of learning where the brain detects patterns of new information.
One of the researchers of this study, Lynn Nadel, stated that babies should get some sleep within a reasonable amount of time after learning new information. If a baby doesn't sleep within four to eight hours of learning new information, they most likely will lose everything they just learned.
So what does this mean, parents? It is important to stimulate your baby with reading, talking, playing and other stimuli, but these stimuli need to happen within a timeframe that includes adequate sleep.
Interesting, huh? Nap schedules are important for your little one's disposition and for their learning, too!
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