Five Essential Reasons to Keep Naptime in the - Southern Early ...

the benefits of sleep, early childhood
educators can refer them to
medical professionals and programs
specializing in sleep disorders for
low-income families. Information
about low- or no-cost health insurance
for low- income families can be found
at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov.
* * *
Eliminating naptime in early childhood
education is a potential risk factor
for poor academic performance,
physical injury, as well as social-emotional
difficulties. Administrators,
teachers, and families must make
sure that young children are provided
with the sleep they need to function
properly. Like food, drink, and
exercise, naptime should be considered
essential to good health for all
young children.
Sleep deprivation can have major
consequences in many areas of a
young child’s life. Sleep and children’s
behaviors are definitely related.
Young children who do not get sufficient
nighttime sleep and naptimes
during the day experience difficulty
academically and socially. Depriving
young children of naptime may
increase the potential for misbehavior
and low academic performance.
Many children are not getting
enough sleep for the same reasons
that adults are not getting enough:
overloaded schedules and lack of
predictable routines. Young children
need almost twice as much
recuperative sleep time as adults.
Ensuring that young children have
the required 10 to 12 hours of sleep
daily is the responsibility of the
adults who care for them.
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10 Volume 36, Number 3 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Fall 2008