Child Development Institute
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A new research study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that daytime naps of at least 30 minutes help infants (6 to 12 months old) to retain new behaviors and information they have just learned. We have long known that sleep time is used by the brain for memory consolidation. One bit of information that took the researchers somewhat by surprise is that children seem to be more receptive to remembering when they are drowsy. This state can in fact be a period of heightened attention and is conducive to accepting, remembering, and later using learned behavior. Another finding was that allowing the child to take a nap when they were showing signs of being sleepy was preferable to keeping on a strict schedule. While this can be difficult to implement, parents should try to use this approach whenever possible.