The Significance of Sleep

Sleep is of critical importance for health and well-being. Insufficient amounts of sleep have been linked to poor cognitive and self-regulatory competencies, increased risk of heart disease and illness, and can even impact mental wellness.

The CDC recommends that children ages 2-4 receive between 10 and 14 hours of sleep each day, but almost a quarter of children struggle with sleep.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry examined the effects of sleep variability in toddles on their cognitive ability and social behaviors in preschool.

This study looked at 119 toddlers from 30 months old until 54 months of age. Children wore sleep trackers for two weeks every 6 months. These trackers measured the total amount of sleep as well as the time at which the child fell asleep.

The study found that variations in the amount of sleep a child received at 30 months old was correlated with internalizing behaviors (anxious, depressed, or withdrawn) as reported by their preschool teacher. Later bedtimes were also correlated with deficiencies in cognitive and academic performance in preschool.

This study is the first study to use direct measures of sleep instead of self-report to examine the effects of sleep on early childhood metrics. This paper highlights the relative importance of sleep for young children.