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Blackcat31 11:43 AM 05-28-2015
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Wrong link blackcat! Geez sorry about that.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095909/

This study was done on preschoolers.
No worries...

I think the article states exactly what most providers already know... if kids are given a good sleep routine at home ALL the time, their NEED for an afternoon nap will decrease as they age. It's the same for adults...if we get good restorative sleep at night, we don't need to nap, drink pots of coffee or energy drinks to stay alert and awake during the day.

Unfortunately most kids now days don't have good sleep routines at home. They sleep in the car, are kept up way too late or sleep with the TV on etc etc... and then need to get up early and go to daycare, thus causing them to be sleep deprived during our time with them....only to go home and have the same cycle repeated.

The article says "Restricting daytime naps in preschoolers who lack the opportunity or ability to increase their nighttime sleep might further impair performance significantly" and that part is SOOOOO important.

It's an issue that both parents and providers pass off onto one another and one that is easily solved by making sure both parent and provider are on the same page and have the same expectations for the child as well as open honest communication.

It's like you said.... YOU know your child better than anyone. If you don't believe your child should be napping at 5 yrs old, but the child care still requires it, then it's on YOU to find a care environment that provides the care your child needs.

I personally will NEVER use the argument that my daycare kids have to nap so I can get a break... (I actually cringe when I read that posted by providers but that's a whole 'nother topic of discussion ) and I don't believe nap laws were put into place for that reason.

I believe rest is required in care environments because the activities the children here participate in make them tired...both physically and mentally so they usually need a bit of down time. I don't require kids to sleep but I do require them to rest quietly (I play audiobooks to listen to) for a minimum of 90 minutes. During that time, I am usually feeding a baby or attending to those kids that rest twice a day and are awake during the older kids' rest time so for me that chunk of the day isn't devoted to me and my needs....

Anyways, it was an interesting article but it was done in a controlled environment with a lot of hypothetical elements added in but ultimately I do think the article was informative and useful. It clearly states that each child's brain and cognitive skills develop individually and not all kids mature at the same rate or pace so it's important that parents pay attention to this and find the care environment that best meets the current developmental needs of their child.

In my program, once a child matures beyond needing a nap, they have outgrown my program as a whole.

Thanks for sharing the article though....it was a great read and had some interesting points. I would love it if they conducted this same study in a clinical environment and see if the results are the same or even similar.
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