Children's brains benefit from a regular sleep schedule
TUESDAY, JULY 09, 2013 10:25 AM

Too little sleep is never good for anyone, but for young children, a lack of rest early in life could have harmful effects on their IQ, The Guardian reported. This is the conclusion scientists from the University College London (UCL) recently arrived at after conducting a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.

The scientists found that problems with children's brain development were directly linked to irregular sleep routines. Trouble with mental tasks was most prevalent among 3-year-olds who went to sleep at a different time every night.

"If a child is having irregular bedtimes at a young age, they're not synthesizing all the information around them at that age, and they've got a harder job to do when they are older," said Amanda Sacker, professor of lifecourse studies at UCL, as quoted by the news source. "It sets them off on a more difficult path."

The results of this study prove how important it is for kids to be in bed at a decent hour. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children between the ages of 1 and 3 should receive 12 to 14 hours of sleep every night, while those between 3 and 5 years need 11 to 13 hours of sleep.

If parents are curious to see how their children's sleep routine is affecting their mental development, an IQ test for kids may be in order.