Afternoon naps and happy tots

Sadly for most adults afternoon naps are just a dim-and-distant memory but for toddlers they are often part of a daily routine. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. studied 62 children, between the ages of four and five, of whom 23% no longer took daytime naps. Despite the fact that there was no difference in total sleep between the groups those children who did not take afternoon naps showed significantly more symptoms of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression. But it was unclear whether the lack of naps caused these symptoms or whether these problems made it more difficult for children to get to sleep.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE55B5LW20090612?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews