Getting your child to bed at the same time every night could give your child’s brain a boost, reports Researchers at University College London. They found that when 3-year olds have a regular bedtime, they perform better on cognitive tests administered at age 7 than children whose bedtimes were inconsistent. It did not matter whether children went to bed early or late – only that their bed TIME was regular.
Researchers suggested that having inconsistent bedtimes may hurt a child’s cognitive development by disrupting circadian rhythms. It may result in sleep deprivation and affect brain plasiticity at critical ages of brain development. If a child’s sleep is deprived AND inconsistent, the risk for cognitive impairments is even higher.
Researchers found that GIRLS were more negatively affected by this issue than boys. The difference in scores between groups of boys and girls were not statistically significant for reading and spatial tests, but math assessment outcomes were. So what can we do to prevent this?
Get your children going on pre-bedtime routines now before school begins. In order to keep the body’s internal clock in sync with the brain, bedtimes on weekends and in the summer should only be one hour off the normal time. The brain needs that consistency in order to most effectively perform! Help your children develop this healthy habit!
Tags: Back To School, Brain Training, Learning Disabiliites, School Routines, Sleeping