In a stressful and technologically-rich modern life, many parents accidentally ignore a top important factor that helps their children develop comprehensively: sleep.
Many parents focus on nutrition, education, soft skills... and forget that if there is a lack of sleep, children will not be able to develop comprehensively.
The importance of children's sleep
According to KidsHealth, medical studies show that children who do not sleep enough can have a series of problems such as difficulty concentrating, poor absorption, easily irritable, crying, and loss of emotional control.
Lack of sleep in children is also a cause of increased risk of obesity and weakened immunity. Some children are even susceptible to depression or behavioral disorders if the condition persists.
Children's sleep is not simply "taking your eyes off". During sleep, the brain goes through stages: shallow sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement).
Deep sleep is when the body secretes growth hormone - the golden factor for height, muscle development and energy recovery. REM sleep is the time when the brain repair memory, reorganize information, promote learning and creativity.
If we compare the brain to a biocomputting, sleep is the process of updating software, deleting buffer memory and upgrading processing performance. Not getting enough sleep means the machine will... "stand still".
How much sleep should children get?
Depending on different ages, children's sleep needs will be different to ensure superior health and development ability. According to KidsHealth, the recommended daily sleep time of children (including napping) is measured as follows:
- Newborn (03 months old) 1417 hours/day
- Children (4'12 months) 12:30 16 hours/day
- Children do exercise (1'2 years old): 11'14 hours/day
- Preschool (3'5 years old): 10'13 hours/day
- Students (613 years old): 912 hours/day
- Adults (1417 years old): 810 hours/day
Parents should note that children should not be "squeezed" sleeping time for extra study, playing on the phone or watching cartoons at night. Skipping sleep is a way to shorten the time and growth ability of children without knowing it.
