Effect of Sleep on Learning in Toddlers

Sleep has a lot of benefits for the human body. Proper concentration, better memory and good behaviour are a few essential habits parents want their kids to acquire right from their childhood. Adequate amount of sleep can help kids develop and maintain these in the correct measure.

Sleep is one of the key factors that contributes to good health. Human body stays active for hours and does all that it can do, throughout the day. However, when it’s time to rest, sleep cannot be compromised with. This is more essential in case of toddlers. As they grow up, the sleeping hours become shorter than what they were during infancy.

As toddlers, they are always engaged in lot of physical and mental activities all through out the day, which is why their body needs proper rest at the end of the day. Also, as they start taking their initial steps towards education, their brains need time to relax. This is why it is vital that parents ensure their little ones get adequate sleep.

Facts about Sleep and Learning

Proper sleep will help your child have better concentration, memory and behavior. To be a successful learner, any child must have these three things. Concentration brings focus, memory helps their brain retain what they learn, and behaviour helps them to humble down and observe what they need to know.
If your child isn’t having proper sleep, he would feel lethargic and there won’t be much that goes into the little brain. With less concentration, children fail to understand what they are taught; low memory makes them forgetful, and their behaviour become harsh. Constant sleepiness makes it difficult for them to learn.

1. Concentration

Children, who have regular sleep disorders, face problems of concentration all throughout the day. If your toddler is unable to grasp what he is being taught, whether it is learning a nursery rhyme, or playing a new outdoor game, it will have an adverse effect on his intellect.

2. Memory

Remembering and reproducing what you learn is very important, otherwise there is no point of the lesson being taught. If your child is drowsy due to his sleep disorders, it will be difficult for him to remember even the basics, like order of the alphabets, or where the exact information in a book is, etc. He might also have problems to follow rhythm.
During various sleep cycles, our brain creates and strengthens memory. For instance, when your toddler is just about to wake up from his sleep, his brain uses the stages of REM sleep, which is among the last stages of sleep. This sorts and stores memories and accumulates information from the earlier days, and then prepares the mind and body for the next day.

3. Behaviour

Children, who face sleep disorders, tend to have issues with their behavior, be it at school, preschool or home. For instance, a sleepy toddler might be cranky and refuse to obey an instruction given by the teacher. He could miss out on what others are learning, simply because his teacher is more concerned with his ill behaviour. Other children might dislike his company and not take him in during their play hours.

How to Solve Toddler’s Sleep Disorders?

There are a lot of kids who have sleeping problems, but they all can be managed with simple behavioural changes. A good thing to start with, is to keep a check on your child’s sleep habits. Changing the sleep schedule, for both daytime and night time can have a positive impact on your child’s sleep.
For instance, with a rescheduled sleep time, you can nurture your child’s body clock and improve his health. Having proper bedtime schedule, waking up with the morning sunlight, regular exercising and a proper diet could help your child have a smoother sleep.
Consult a doctor, if your child’s sleep disorder is persistent. He might need some medical assistance.