Strict bedtimes helps brain development, new study finds
Alison Perry
Netmums contributorMaking sure your child goes to bed early is more important than we thought, as new research shows it can make their brains bigger and healthier
Experts have long advised parents to set routines around their child's bedtime.
And now scientists say a good bedtime routine actually affects your child's brain development – helping to make them more intelligent.
The research by Colorado State University aimed to understand the links between socioeconomic status, sleep and brain development in children.
The results show that the more sleep — and the better quality sleep — your child is getting, the bigger and healthier their brain will be.
It could even mean they have fewer tantrums and have better long term mental health.
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The study, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, involved 94 families with children aged five to nine.
Through detailed questionnaires about family routines and advanced MRI brain imaging techniques, researchers discovered a direct correlation between sleep patterns and brain development in children.
Previous studies on the impact of sleep have focused on teenagers, but this research, led by Professor Emily Merz, found that primary school children who lack sufficient sleep exhibit smaller and less developed brains.
'Shorter sleep duration was significantly associated with reduced cortical thickness in frontal, temporal, and parietal regions and smaller volume of the amygdala – a brain region key to emotion processing,' Professor Merz said.
This link to processing emotions suggests children who go to bed on time have healthier emotions and fewer tantrums. It also could mean that children who don't get enough sleep might suffer from depression and mental health issues, as they grow up.
'Set consistent family routines'
The study found that kids could also be cleverer with more sleep, due to developing more nerves in the brain’s frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, which are vital for language, memory and the senses.
Another key finding in the study was that parents should set consistent family routines throughout the day and week. Regular family mealtimes, spending quality time together and morning routines all contribute to your child's brain development.
'Less consistent family routines and greater unpredictability may increase children's stress and interfere with their sleep,' Professor Metz said.
How much sleep should my child get?
The NHS recommends that children aged 5-9 get 10-11 hours of sleep each night but some experts suggest that getting fixated on putting your child to bed by a certain time every night isn't necessary.
'You can't be too strict on a certain time,' former nanny and parenting coach Kirsty Ketley said. 'But the lead-up to bedtime I think needs to be the same.'
Instead, she recommends paying attention to your child's cues and doing bedtime when they're tired.
'Not dictating sleep by what time it is and going by their cues instead has helped both my children understand when they are tired and need to sleep, and stopped any battles around bedtime,' she said.
Study author Professor Merz added: 'Childhood is a sensitive period in development when environmental experiences can have powerful and lasting influences on the brain.
'Promoting healthy sleep may support brain development in children and change their lives.'
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