Hyperactivity linked with naps

Too few naps might raise risk of hyperactivity

Napping may have a significant influence on young children’s daytime functioning, according to new research. Study results indicate that children between the ages of 4 and 5 who did not take daytime naps were reported by their parents to exhibit higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression than children who continued to nap at this age.

According to lead author Brian Crosby, PhD, postdoctoral fellow of psychology at Pennsylvania State University, previous studies have shown that poor or inadequate sleep is linked with symptoms of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression; researchers involved in this study were happy to demonstrate the potential importance of napping for optimal daytime functioning in young children, as napping is often overlooked in favor of nighttime or total sleep.

“There is a lot of individual variability in when children are ready to give up naps,” says Crosby. “I would encourage parents to include a quiet ‘rest’ time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary.”

The study included data from 62 children between the ages of 4 and 5 who were classified as either napping (77%) or non-napping (23%). Napping children napped an average of 3.4 days per week. Crosby hopes that findings of this study will encourage caregivers and other researchers to look at the ways napping impacts daytime functioning in children, as an optimal age to stop napping hasn’t yet been determined.

The study was presented at SLEEP 2009, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

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