A recent study has found that sleep deprivation affects children’s brains and their early brain development. The article was published in open access journal Frontiers. “The process of sleep may be involved in brain ‘wiring’ in childhood and thus affect brain maturation,” said Salome Kurth, first author of the study and a researcher at the University Hospital of Zurich. “This research shows an increase in sleep need in posterior brain regions in children,” he added.
Key Takeaways:
- “New brain scans reveal sleep deprivation damages children’s brains more than previously thought,” the Mail Online reports
- Researchers measured the brain activity of children whose sleep had been restricted by four hours and found some potentially worrying signs.
- The study included 13 children aged between five and 12 and compared the effects of a normal night’s sleep (9pm bedtime) with a restricted night’s sleep (2am bedtime), both with the same wake up time
“The study included 13 children aged between five and 12 and compared the effects of a normal night’s sleep (9pm bedtime) with a restricted night’s sleep (2am bedtime), both with the same wake up time.”
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/11November/Pages/Lack-of-sleep-may-disrupt-development-of-a-childs-brain.aspx&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGjFmZmViMTExOGM5Mzg5YTQ6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNEU0RQsHgkHXzofCVsB7l9GPKVDsw