A study by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University found that the human brain develops most rapidly in the first few years after birth, especially before the age of three. The brain can form more than 1 million neural connections per second and can reach about 80% of an adult brain’s weight.
The younger the child, the longer they sleep each day, especially newborns under one year old, who can sleep up to 16-20 hours per day.
One of the main reasons why children can sleep so much is that adequate sleep helps the neurons in the brain to connect better, laying the foundation for intellectual development.
Therefore, if you have a child between the ages of 0-3, pay attention to their sleep patterns and create a conducive sleep environment to improve their IQ through quality sleep.
Three signs your child is getting a good night’s sleep and developing a high IQ
If your child exhibits the following three signs while sleeping, it indicates a great sleep quality and a well-developing intelligence.
Falling asleep easily
Data from the “White Paper on Sleep for Chinese Adolescents and Children” shows that for adults, being unable to fall asleep within 30 minutes is considered a sleep difficulty. For children, the time should be under 20 minutes. If they still can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, it’s considered a challenge.
We all know that for a computer to function properly, it needs rest, and its memory needs to be cleared and space freed up…
Sleep for the human brain is like turning a computer on and off. It helps the brain complete the process of “memory cleaning,” making neural connections more stable and removing obstacles for intellectual development.
If a child takes more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, it means their brain struggles to switch to an efficient “clean and repair” mode at the optimal time. It can’t timely initiate the “self-upgrade” process during deep sleep, slowing down the consolidation and arrangement of neural connections, which is not conducive to the healthy development of intelligence.
On the other hand, if a child falls asleep as soon as they lie down, it means their brain can promptly enter the “trash removal” state, allowing more time for neural connections, and their intelligence will naturally develop better.
Maintaining the same sleeping position for extended periods
Researchers at the University of Lübeck in Germany conducted an experiment where they asked children to learn a set of new words and then observed their sleeping habits.
The results showed that children who slept longer and deeper had 20%-30% higher accuracy in recalling the words the next day compared to those who slept for shorter periods.
This indicates that adequate sleep significantly impacts children’s intellectual development and learning abilities.
Scientists have found that during deep sleep, the hippocampus in the brain integrates and consolidates what has been learned during the day, forming long-term memory. This process is vital for children’s learning and intellectual development.
If a child falls asleep as soon as they lie down, it means their brain can promptly enter the “trash removal” state.
Additionally, during deep sleep, the brain performs a series of physiological activities, including neural regeneration, synapse formation, and pruning, which are essential for brain development and function.
When our bodies enter deep sleep, we conserve energy and self-repair, reducing unnecessary activities and maintaining stable breathing and bodily functions.
Therefore, if a child maintains the same sleeping position for extended periods, with relaxed muscles and even breathing, it indicates a high-quality sleep. It suggests that their intelligence is rapidly developing.
Waking up in a good mood without crankiness
We all know that when we don’t get enough sleep or have poor sleep quality, we tend to be grumpy and irritable.
The reason is that sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance, especially increasing stress hormones (such as norepinephrine and adrenaline), making people more prone to anger and irritability.
So, if a child frequently wakes up cranky, it means their sleep quality is poor or they’re not getting enough sleep.
On the other hand, if a child wakes up feeling energetic and cheerful, it means they had a good night’s sleep. It indicates that their brain has rested and recovered during sleep. The normal and balanced secretion of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, helps maintain emotional stability.
At the same time, the brain effectively eliminates metabolic waste, further consolidates and optimizes neural connections, and positively promotes intellectual development and learning abilities.
It’s like an electric car that, after a full night of “charging,” has a full fuel tank and a well-functioning engine, allowing us to tackle a new day with abundant energy.
How to improve your child’s sleep quality
Today, with social progress and economic development, there are no significant gaps in education, nutrition, and exercise among children.
Children from 0-3 years old spend more than half of their time sleeping. So, if you want to enhance their intelligence, it’s crucial to improve sleep quality. Here are three tips to help your child improve their sleep quality.
Create a suitable sleep environment
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a quiet, dark, and cool sleep environment to help infants improve sleep quality.
When your child is sleeping, draw the curtains to block out light and use a white noise machine to play gentle wind and rain sounds to mask external noise.
Maintain a room temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius, avoiding extremes, and keep the humidity level around 50%-60%.
Such an environment is comfortable and conducive to deep sleep, particularly beneficial for brain development.
Create a suitable sleep environment.
Maintain a consistent routine
According to China’s “Hygiene Guidelines for Children’s Sleep from 0 to 5 Years Old,” maintaining a regular work and rest schedule can improve children’s sleep quality.
For children aged 0-3, sleep time will gradually decrease as they get older, so it’s essential to arrange their sleep and rest times appropriately for their age.
Additionally, establish a fixed bedtime and wake-up routine to set a high-quality biological clock.
Pay attention to pre-bedtime diet and activities
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK advises against over-excitement or overeating before bedtime, as it can impact sleep quality.
Avoid sugary and fatty foods 1-2 hours before bedtime. Instead, offer your child a moderate amount of warm milk and a light dinner.
Create pre-bedtime rituals, such as reading books or listening to soothing music with your child. Also, steer clear of vigorous exercise and stimulating games before sleep.
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